MIRACLE AT LONE OAK

The Sun is shining brightly, but it’s still cold. It’s the latter part of winter in Lone Oak, Mississippi. The last few months have been long and bitter. The promise of spring is in the air, and anticipations are high, but there are some who can only focus on the here and now. In the little two-room house, shared by Hugh and Ellen Spencer, and their eight children, fear fills every heart. 

Twelve-year-old Junie lies unconscious, stricken with a fever. She has been sick for weeks and has been at death’s door for several days now. Her mother has not left her side. She watches over her sweet child and prays for the fever to break. Many prayers are offered up to God as the family wonders if she will survive this ordeal that threatens to tear another child from her arms.

As Ellen places another wet towel on her daughter’s head she notices something that sends a chill down her spine. She shouts to her husband, “Hugh, Hugh, come quick.” As Hugh races frantically to the bedside of his sick child he is thinking the worst. As he enters the room, Ellen shouts, “Junie’s fever has broken! Send for Dr. Williams!”

As the sun shines directly overhead, a strange, but familiar noise grew louder and louder. The eldest son, Ervin, was returning home with the doctor. The strange noise was made by an automobile, which Dr. Williams drove. Not too common in the Lone Oak area, but a welcome site today.

“I heard the good news, Hugh. How’s our girl doing?” With a gleam of cheer in his voice, Hugh said, “Well Doc, That’s what we were hoping you could tell us. Come on In,” he added.

By now Junie was awake and sitting up in bed. The doctor examined her and then turned to address her parents. “Mr. and Mrs. Spencer,” he says with a smile, “Junie’s gonna be fine. Since she’s been cooped up in this room for weeks, I think some fresh air would do her good. You should open the door and window for a couple of hours and let the house air out, but she doesn’t need to be in the direct wind for long, so in the meantime, how would you like to go for a ride in an automobile, Junie?”

The ride was great, and Junie enjoyed it very much. It was an experience she would never forget. She never forgot her parent’s love and care for her either. She never forgot that God had brought her back from death’s door and added many years to her life. 

As I listened to my Grandmother tell this story, I could see the appreciation in her eyes, and hear it in her voice. She longed to see Jesus face to face and thank him, not just for what he did for her that winter, but for all he had done in her life afterward. She loved God and served him until the day she died. I can’t wait to see her again, after the resurrection, and watch the faces of my children and grandchildren light up, as our Grandmother tells this story and many others. I’m looking forward to it.

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Adapted from the book “Inspiration For The Journey” by Teddy Lynn

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https://teddylynn.blogspot.com
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© 2010 Teddy Lynn – All Rights Reserved

My books are available in paperback and digital format on Amazon @ 
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THE KING OF THE HILL LOST HIS THRONE

No matter how good we are at parenting, or how well we train our children, they still disobey sometimes and I was no different when I was young. My grandmother raised me from the time I was three and she was like a mother to me. I remember several times when I didn’t listen to her and bad things happened, but I remember one in particular where I could have died.

I was twelve years old and we had just moved next door to my Mom and Dad. We were in a valley and there were hills all around. My cousins had built some wooden contraptions they called coasters, which were like go-carts without motors. They would pull them up the steep gravel road and ride them back down. They let me ride a couple of times and I was hooked. I had to build one for myself.

When my Grandmother found out we were playing in the road, she said it was too dangerous. We could get hit by a car. So, I found a hill in the woods and made a road there. It was awesome. Everybody LOVED it. It was summer and we were out of school. We spent hours riding down that hill every day. Pulling our coasters up was not an easy job but, the ride down was well worth whatever hardship it took to get back to the top of the hill.

I guess a couple of weeks went by, and I mean fun weeks. It was the most fun I had seen in years. Then one day, out of the blue, one of my cousins had a wreck on his coaster and hurt his ankle really bad. I don’t remember if it broke it or sprained it or what, but he couldn’t walk. Well, my Grandmother, being the good parent she was, banned us from the hill in the woods because now, that was too dangerous.

I knew she was only looking out for us because she didn’t want us to get hurt. I knew the Bible said Children should obey their parents, but I thought to myself, “She’s worried about nothing, I won’t get hurt. I know what my cousin did wrong. I won’t make the same mistake he did.” I tried to convince her, but she put her foot down and gave her final, No.

That didn’t stop me from going back though. It took me a couple of days to get my courage up, but finally, I headed out. I got my coaster and pulled it behind our house and up to where my Mom and Dad’s house would be between me and my Grandmother, so she wouldn’t be able to see me. Then, I cut across a field of honeysuckles and sage grass.

My grandmother couldn’t see me, but God could. I’m so glad he did. I stopped and looked back just in time to see a black, tornado-shaped mass coming up out of the ground. It was a swarm of bumblebees. I was highly allergic to bee stings at the time. One hornet had stung me a few years earlier and caused me a lot of trouble, so all I could think to do was run, and that’s what I did.

As I ran back toward home screaming, I remember getting stung on top of my head first. Then, just as I jumped a ditch, I got stung on my butt. Just when I thought I might get away, they were all over me. I saw my mom and started yelling at her, “They got me, they got me!” She told me to take off my clothes and she sprayed me with the water hose until the bees decided to leave me alone.

When it was all over and I was standing there in my underwear, soaking wet, I had only been stung seven times, but knowing I was allergic, they loaded me up and took me to the emergency room. I don’t remember much about being there, but I know it could have turned out worse than it did. I know I saw a lot more than seven bees come out of that nest, but God was with me and I didn’t die that time.

I wish I could say I never disobeyed again, but that would be a lie. I share more stories about other times I disobeyed in my book series, "THE JOURNEY TO HEAVEN, and INSPIRATION FOR THE JOURNEY. (Link Below) 

Looking back at all the times I didn’t listen and got hurt, or got into some other kind of trouble, I realize just how important it is to obey God. At times we may not understand why he doesn’t want us to do certain things, but that doesn’t mean we should ignore his warnings. We shouldn’t look at God’s commandments as a list of DON’Ts, but as warnings to protect us from harm. God loves us and he wants what’s best for us so we can be safe and happy. We will always go wrong when we do what He tells us not to.

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My Blogs
https://teddylynn.blogspot.com
https://teddylynn.wordpress.com

© 2014 Teddy Lynn – All Rights Reserved

My books are available in paperback and digital format on Amazon @ 
https://www.amazon.com/Teddy-Lynn/e/B01MZDB6L6