My parents were in desperate need of help--no water, the reservoir dry, my father very sick with a high fever, and a house full of small children who could not be left alone--in a snowstorm. My mother's story in her own words continues:
In town, the Public Health nurse was enjoying her day off, relaxing with her husband in front of a bright fire in their fireplace, snug and warm in spite of the swirling snowstorm outside.
Suddenly, she felt uneasy. "Honey, I don't know what's the matter, but I feel I must go out to the Bethel Beach Children's Home."
In town, the Public Health nurse was enjoying her day off, relaxing with her husband in front of a bright fire in their fireplace, snug and warm in spite of the swirling snowstorm outside.
"You don't mean right now, do you?" he asked.
"Yes! Right now!"
"But this is your day off. You give a good five days a week to running all over helping people. Isn't that enough?"
"I know," she said, getting up and heading to the closet for her coat, "but I feel I must go out to the Bethel Beach Home right away!"
"But it's snowing so hard, and it's a long way out there. You could get stuck in the snow. I can't let you go out there alone."
"Then come along with me," she said as she plunged a foot into her fur-lined snow boot.
"I hope this isn't some wild goose chase," he grumbled as they stepped out into the storm and trudged gingerly to their car.
* * * * *
I arose from my knees at my husband's bedside and again went to the phone for another futile attempt to call for help. As I hung the receiver in its two-pronged holder, I glanced out the window of the dining room door that opened onto the long enclosed front porch.
Someone stood in the outside doorway, shaking off snow before entering! Amazed, I opened the door.
"Hello!" the nurse greeted me. "For some reason, I felt I should come out to see you. Is everything all right?"
I finally found my voice. "Thank God!" I cried. "Bob is terribly sick, and I haven't been able to reach the doctor."
The nurse followed me to Bob's bedside. After a quick examination, she exclaimed, "I think he has pneumonia. We need to get him to the hospital immediately!"
"Oh, dear, but how?" I asked.
"My husband is up in our car. I'll go get him." At the door she paused. "Where's your shovel? We'll need to clear the driveway before we can get our car down here."
With the help of the nurse and her husband, Bob was finally tucked into the nurse's car and on his way to the hospital and eventual recovery.
The next day, the snow turned to rain. Our reservoir filled up, and water poured from our faucets again.
My parents soon learned that a neighbor had created the dam to supply water to a four-apartment complex he had built about two blocks away from us. The stream was on public land, but he refused to modify the dam.
For the next four years that my parents operated the Home, whenever the weather turned extremely cold, we had no water. I have fond memories of those Saturdays with no water when we drove to the home of generous friends, Kent and Donna Fagerstrom, for a potluck dinner so we could all take baths at their house.
Someone stood in the outside doorway, shaking off snow before entering! Amazed, I opened the door.
"Hello!" the nurse greeted me. "For some reason, I felt I should come out to see you. Is everything all right?"
I finally found my voice. "Thank God!" I cried. "Bob is terribly sick, and I haven't been able to reach the doctor."
The nurse followed me to Bob's bedside. After a quick examination, she exclaimed, "I think he has pneumonia. We need to get him to the hospital immediately!"
"Oh, dear, but how?" I asked.
"My husband is up in our car. I'll go get him." At the door she paused. "Where's your shovel? We'll need to clear the driveway before we can get our car down here."
With the help of the nurse and her husband, Bob was finally tucked into the nurse's car and on his way to the hospital and eventual recovery.
The next day, the snow turned to rain. Our reservoir filled up, and water poured from our faucets again.
* * * * *
My parents soon learned that a neighbor had created the dam to supply water to a four-apartment complex he had built about two blocks away from us. The stream was on public land, but he refused to modify the dam.
For the next four years that my parents operated the Home, whenever the weather turned extremely cold, we had no water. I have fond memories of those Saturdays with no water when we drove to the home of generous friends, Kent and Donna Fagerstrom, for a potluck dinner so we could all take baths at their house.
Have you ever been prompted to do something that felt like a "wild goose chase"? Perhaps it was the Holy Spirit prompting you to answer someone's desperate prayer. What did you do? I'd love to read your stories.
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