Thanks for sending this. I have read it before, but I guess I needed a reminder of how good God is.
Thanks, Becky -------------------------------------------------- From: "Delma" <[email protected]> Sent: Friday, January 16, 2009 10:49 AM To: "RecipesAndMore" <[email protected]> Subject: [RecipesAndMore] You Have Blessed My Life > > You Have Blessed My Life > > > In September 1960, I woke up one morning with six hungry babies and just > 75 > cents in my pocket. > Their father was gone. > > > > > > The boys ranged from three months to seven years; their sister was two. > > > > > > Their Dad had never been much more than a presence they feared. > > > > > > Whenever they heard his tires crunch on the gravel driveway they would > scramble to hide under their beds. > > > > > > He did manage to leave $15 a week to buy groceries. > > > > > > Now that he had decided to leave, there would be no more beatings, but no > food either. > > > > > > If there was a welfare system in effect in southern Indiana at that time, > I > certainly knew nothing about it. > > > > > > > > > > > I scrubbed the kids until they looked brand new and then put on my best > homemade dress, loaded them into the rusty old 51 Chevy and drove off to > find a job. > > > > > > The seven of us went to every factory, store and restaurant in our small > town. > > > > > > No luck. > > > > > > The kids stayed crammed into the car and tried to be quiet while I tried > to > convince who ever would listen that I was willing to learn or do anything. > I > had to have a job. > > > > > > Still no luck. The last place we went to, just a few miles out of town was > an old Root Beer Barrel drive-in t hat had been converted to a truck stop. > > > > > > It was called the Big Wheel. > > > > > > An old lady named Granny owned the place and she peeked out of the window > from time to time at all those kids. > > > > > > She needed someone on the graveyard shift t, 11 at night until seven in > the > morning. > > > > > > She paid 65 cents an hour, and I could start that night. > > > > > > I raced home and called the teenager down the street that baby-sat for > people. > > > > > > I bargained with her to come and sleep on my sofa for a dollar a night. > > > > > > She could arrive with her pajamas on and the kids would already be asleep. > > > > > > This seemed like a good arrangement to her, so we made a deal. > > > > > > That night when the little ones and I knelt to say our prayers, we all > thanked God for finding Mommy a job. And so I started at the Big Wheel. > > > > > > When I got home in the mornings I woke the baby-sitter up and sent her > home > with one dollar of my tip money-- fully half of what I averaged every > night. > > > > > > As the weeks went by, heating bills added a strain to my meager wage. > > > > > > The tires on the old Chevy had the consistency of penny balloons and began > to leak. I had to fill them with air on the way to work and again every > morning before I could go home. > > > > > > One bleak fall morning, I dragged myself to the car to go home and found > four tires in the back seat. New tires! > > > > > > There was no note, no nothing just those beautiful brand new tires. > > > > > > Had angels taken up residence in Indiana? I wondered. > > > > > > I made a deal with the local service station. > > > > > > In exchange for his mounting the new tires, I would clean up his office. > > > > > > I remember it took me a lot longer to scrub his floor than it did for him > to > do the tires. > > > > > > I was now working six nights instead of five and it still wasn't enough. > > > > > > Christmas was coming and I knew there would be no money for toys for the > kids. > > > > > > I found a can of red paint and started repairing and painting some old > toys. > Then I hid them in the basement so there would be something for Santa to > deliver on Christmas morning. > > > > > > Clothes were a worry too. I was sewing patches on top of patches on the > boy's > pants and soon they would be too far gone to repair. > > > > > > On Christmas Eve the usual customers were drinking coffee in the Big > Wheel. > There were the truckers, Les, Frank, and Jim, and a state trooper named > Joe. > > > > A few musicians were hanging around after a gig at the Legion and were > dropping nickels in the pinball machine. > > > > > > The regulars all just sat around and talked through the wee hours of the > morning and then left to get home before the sun came up. > > > > > > When it was time for me to go home at seven o'clock on Christmas morning, > to > my amazement, my old battered Chevy was filled full to the top with boxes > of > all shapes and sizes. > > > > > > I quickly opened the driver's side door, crawled inside and kneeled in the > front facing the back seat. > > > > > > Reaching back, I pulled off the lid of the top box. > > > > > > Inside was whole case of little blue jeans, sizes 2-10! > > > > > > I looked inside another box: It was full of shirts to go with the jeans. > > > > > > Then I peeked inside some of the other boxes. There was candy and nuts and > bananas and bags of groceries. There was an enormous ham for baking, and > can > need vegetables and potatoes. > > There was pudding and Jell-O and cookies, pie filling and flour. There was > whole bag of laundry supplies and cleaning items. > > > > > > And there were five toy trucks and one beautiful little doll. > > > > > > As I drove back through empty streets as the sun slowly rose on the > > most amazing Christmas Day of my life, I was sobbing with gratitude. > > > > > > And I will never forget the joy on the faces of my little ones that > precious > morning. > > > > > > Yes, there were angels in Indiana that long-ago December. And they all > hung > out at the Big Wheel truck stop.. > > > > > > THE POWER OF PRAYER. I believe that God only gives three answers to > prayer: > > > > > > 1. 'Yes!' > > 2. 'Not yet.' > > 3. 'I have something better in mind.' > > > > > > God still sits on the throne, the devil is a liar. > > > > > > You may be going through a tough time right now but God is getting ready > to > bless you in a way that you cannot imagine. > > > > > > My instructions were to pick four people that I wanted God to bless and I > picked you. > > > > > > Please pass this to at least four people you want to be blessed and a copy > back to me. > > > > > > This prayer is powerful, and prayer is one of the best gifts we receive. > There is no cost but a lot of rewards > > > > > > Let's continue to pray for one another. Here is the prayer:.... > > > > > > Father, I ask You to bless my friends, relatives and email buddies reading > this right now. Show them a new revelation of Your love and power. > > Amen. > > > > > > I know I picked more than four, so can you > > > > > > > > > > > > No virus found in this incoming message. > Checked by AVG - http://www.avg.com > Version: 8.0.176 / Virus Database: 270.10.8/1897 - Release Date: 1/16/2009 > 6:52 AM > --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ Access the Recipes And More list archives at: http://www.mail-archive.com/recipesandmore%40googlegroups.com/ Visit the group home page at: http://groups.google.com/group/RecipesAndMore -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
