Precious Memories - Page 20
We had traveled to Tucson, Arizona and rented a trailer, and we were sitting around the table because we had just received our mail. I was taking one letter at a time out of the big brown envelope that the mail was in, and I was reading it aloud so all the family could share the news from home and from our friends. I said, “Look! This letter is from Cincinnati, and it is from Frank and Lindy.” As I read, we all laughed, because in the letter, they were telling us how that they had sold everything and were praying for God to lead them as to where they should go, and they felt that God was wanting them to go to Tucson, Arizona. They had no idea that we were there at this time. I read several other letters, and all of a sudden, I pulled out another letter from Frank and Lindy and noticed the return address. We got all excited when we found out they were only a couple of blocks away from where we were in Tucson. We quickly got in the car and drove over to the address that was on the letter, and you should have seen the look of surprise on their faces as they opened the door and saw us standing there. We realized that God had put us back together, and since that time, we have shared many joys and shed many tears together. We are looking forward to spending eternity with them when our lives are finished here in this life.
In the last article I wrote, I remember relating how we were in Tucson, Arizona and how the Lord put us back with Brother and Sister Taylor by a great miracle. When we found out that they were only a few blocks from where we were, we got in the car and drove over to where they were staying and surprised them.
When we got there, we were also surprised because they had a third person with them that we had never met. This woman found out in Cincinnati, Ohio that Brother Frank and Sister Linda had given their hearts to the Lord and were real zealous toward doing the will of God. The Taylors found out that we had slipped off so they wouldn’t be influenced in any way by us in making decisions concerning their lives.
We wanted to give them time to pray and seek God and not make any hasty decisions that they might later regret. We knew that if they had really found the pearl of great price then they would be willing to sell all and take up the cross and follow the Lord wherever He might lead them. But this woman knew they were young and inexperienced, so she took full advantage of their new zeal for God. They sold everything they had and she decided to travel with them.
She told them they needed to go on what she called a “Back to the Garden” diet. This required buying all health foods from an expensive health food store instead of going to a regular grocery store. They didn’t travel long before most of their money was gone. By the time we were reunited in Tucson, Arizona, they were both about sick and on the verge of a broken marriage because of this woman.
They were glad to see us, and after fellowshipping a while we all had a good meal together, from groceries bought at a grocery store! George told them to forget the diet and to pray and let God heal and deliver them from Satan’s hold. Those that keep their minds stayed on Christ Jesus shall have perfect peace. I know it is wise to eat the right foods, but sometimes on the field of evangelism you eat whatever the Lord provides and you pray and God takes care of your health. Jesus was our example, and the Scriptures record how He would stop and get figs from a tree, or the disciples would pluck corn in the fields, or they would catch fish and cook them. We should not keep our minds on what we are going to eat. The Lord knows our needs and will provide our daily bread if we follow Him. The joy of the Lord is our strength, not what we eat.