Growing up Poor

The comment from Howard about growing up poor kind of hit a memory cell that I wanted to share. Howard, many of us grew up much the same way. And as you say, look at how we turned out. We are so much the same and have so much to be thankful for. My Mother came from a broken family and I understand now how important it was for her to have a loving family. Perhaps that is part of what attracted her to my Dad, but is also part of why "Beautiful Dreamer" was such an appropriate song to begin mother's picture video. In the 1950s and 1960s, we were very poor and Mother would look back and speak about "those years". I know she wanted to provide more. Yes, we were poor of worldly things, but we had a loving close knit family that was worth way more than things. Mother had reached her objective and didn't realize it because she was focusing on "things". She spoke about us being so poor that there was no Christmas, but yet to me those were the happiest memories of Christmas I have. We lived in what was basically a cabin in 1959 which was heated with a wood cookstove. I remember in 1959 Dad and Mother took us to the big city of Auburn, California and gave each of us a dollar to buy Christmas presents for our siblings. I wanted to buy a simple cross necklace for my older sister Carol but it cost nearly 75 cents and I had to figure out how to get something for my younger sisters for 25 cents. Carol wore that necklace for many years after that.

We always looked forward to getting a package from Mommy and Daddy Lindgren at Christmas and also from Aunt Virginia Lindgren. What memorable times those were. I still have many of those gifts When we lived in Morocco, Indiana while Dad was in seminary we would go to his country church Mt. Zion for Christmas. The church families all brought their family gifts to the church to exchange and one time I asked Dad why we didn't get much as I didn't understand that many in the church were related. He pointed to the front pew which was full of things like flour, sugar and other staples and told me this was our gift from the church. Dad taught me how to be a gracious acceptor of a gift. He asked me if I enjoyed giving and I said I did. He then asked how I would feel if someone turned it down or didn't seem thankful. I understood the lesson. Yes, Howard, I remember the hand me downs. In my case they came from church members and I was always thankful for what I had. However, I was never known as one of "those poor Walker boys" although I have heard that said about the boys growing up in Mishawaka.

John, we were very grateful for the service Sunday morning. Although it was not planned as such, it provided us with a memorial service back with family for my mother. And Howard thank you so much for starting the ball to roll. Had I tried to explain these things that morning I would have simply started crying. And thank you Coleen for reading those pieces for my Mother.

Many of you probably didn't understand about that song we played that morning about God's Love. John told me he wanted me to print out the words to a song we could sing for the service and I agreed. I didn't know what the song was. Then I asked John if he would like to hear the 4 songs from my Mother's service and he said he could stay up that long. The first song was Harold Sassman singing a piece he did at the Pt. Pleasant church where my parents are buried. Harold was music director when we lived there. I used to sing for Harold in the choir and worked for him on his small ranch. John heard the song and asked if that was George Beverly Shay and I replied that it was from a recording Harold did many years ago. John then said, "Tom do you realize that is the same song I just gave you the words to"? It took awhile for the words to sink in. So, why did John pick that song? I believe it was because the service that morning was meant in part to be the memorial service we wanted with family. And what better place than outside in God's Temple. I never did print out the words, we listened to Harold sing it and it was very precious and touching to me.

Howard, you commented about how God provides and sometimes we don't understand or we don't see it. It reminds me of a story. A fellow lived in a flood plain and it began raining very hard so the sheriff showed up warning people to leave and go to higher ground. The fellow said, no God will provide. Later as the flooding began, a neighbor came in a boat, but the fellow said, no God will provide. Finally, the fellow was on the roof and the house broke loose and was floating down the river and a helicopter came by with the National Guard but the fellow said again "God will provide". The fellow drowned and when he got to the Pearly Gates he asked God why he didn't provide for him. And God replied: "I sent the Sheriff, a neighbor, and the National Guard but you turned them all away". How often in life we do that because we don't realize or understand how God is answering our prayers. But I recognize when God is providing that service for my mother, and I really do understand how he provided me with a car to drive back to California to be with my Mother one last time and how he provided me the time after I got back from France so I could head out west. And he even sent Bob Drake out to be with us when we needed family in California. Yes, Howard there is so much to be thankful for and sometimes we miss it because it doesn't fit our notion of what we expect God to do.

I hope this isn't too long, but I had to write it. And Howard, I'm not a preacher, but I feel like I just delivered a sermon.