Today (June 22) is my mother’s birth date – she would be 98, and ‘left us almost eight years ago. Here’s a vividly remembered example of her faith stance – ‘It was a bitterly cold winter’s day. The strong, gusting, rain filled westerly winds from off the Indian Ocean had lashed our little rented apartment all day. As a skinny little six year old I was recovering from a serious illness, so keeping the home warm was essential. A wood fire was the only heating we had, and now the last piece of wood was being placed on the fire. ‘We must get some more wood,’ my mother declared. She then dressed me in my warmest clothing, saying; ‘I must go to the wood store, and you must come with me as the walk will keep you warm.’ What I did not know - my mother had no money! It was mid-afternoon when we left our home on Walcott Street, passed the Forrest Park Methodist Church, and then briskly walked alongside the Forrest Park. Suddenly a strong burst of wind blew across the wide parkland. Leaves, twigs and loose ground material rained down upon us. Almost from nowhere a piece of paper fastened itself to my mother’s leg. She grasped the paper quickly, looked hard at it, and exclaimed, ‘Thank you Jesus!’ It was an Australian Ten Pound Banknote (Australian currency at the time). We continued walking on to the wood store at the end of the park, where the owner was finalising the last load for the day. He had just enough room for our Ten Pound Stack. This proved to be enough wood for the rest of winter! When we arrived home the wood had already been delivered and very soon we had a cheery, crackling log fire. Our home was again warm and cosy. Over the evening meal we gave grateful thanks to a good God.’
Posted on: Sat, 22 Jun 2013 18:14:36 +0000
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