Betty and her husband, Wayne, offered to take my olders girls to Release Time each Thursday. Soon summer came and they offered to take us to Vacation Bible School. Now they are like Grandparents to my children and rightly so, as they took us in as the Lord states:
"For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me."
(Matthew 25:35-36 ESV)
There is another special couple from Bowman that I have reflected on a lot this week. Walt and Neva are leaving our community soon. Three weeks ago Walt announced to the church he has a short time to live with a cancer that is incurable. He has spent a lot of time at Loma Linda lately and now will be moving down near his family for treatment. They moved up to our area around 20 years ago from Southern California.
Their moving story is very unique. Walt had a two story staircase with a dream of building a house around it. Over the course of a couple of years they came up to Cottonwood during the "dry season",our average rainfall is 30 inches, so that could be tricky. Approximately, 19 years ago they made Bowman their home.
When we showed up at Bowman Church ,they had just helped finish complete the new building. Walt and his friend Andy had brought a number of interesting piece of construction fabric as well as a wealth of skill for construction and metal work form So Cal. They created a design for a multipurpose building around an industrial "garage door". I am very familiar with this door, because I am the church janitor. I often raise the door by pulling the chain and then pull down the floor to the stage that comes from the wall like an old fashion bed, to revel the alcove that contains the pulpit, drums and piano.
Neva was Ian's Sparky leader in AWANA. She and Ms. Sherry had an amazing control of those busy little bodies on Wednesday nights with Neva's Jump rope strung between them and children hang on to it like clothes blowing in the wind. Miss Neva and Miss "S'erry" will always be remembered with that jump rope strung with Sparkieswearing smiling faces.
Walt came down to visit with me frequently through the years as I cleaned. He would tell me about the history of the building which was helpful in my cleaning and making the Deacon's aware of maintenance needs. He also share about his journey with the Lord as a Fire Fighter and a director of a Christan Camp. Neva also share with the girls the importance of good hygiene in the kitchen from her years with their camp it was natural information to share.
Sometime through the years Neva realized that I like Country Woman Magazine and counted cross stitch. Just when I need it: a few of the ladies in the church leave packages for me in the down stairs kitchen at church. This last week I got my last installment of CW Magazines, 3 wooded embroidery hoops and some floss. "Just when I needed a pick-me up"
So, as I laid here this weekend re-cooping from The Plaque I had a stack of magazine in a reusable tote to take my mind off the itching. I plan to make a set of counted cross stitches and use these hoops as frames. I will make sure to put on the back that these hoops were a gift from Neva Schlenz.
Walt approached me while I was cleaning 3 weeks ago and told me, "Thank you for always having a hug for me this old man." Since then I made a point to make sure I hugged him. I am not the only person to say that I am a better person for knowing Walt and Neva Schlenz. Walt sang this song with his daughter three Sundays back.
WHAT A DAY THAT WILL BE
by Jim Hill
When no heartache shall come
No more clouds in the sky
No more tears to dim the eye
All is peace forever more
On that happy golden shore
What a day, glorious day that will be.
What a day that will be
When my Jesus I shall see
And I look upon His face
The One who saved my by His grace
When He takes me by the hand
And leads me through the Promised Land
What a day, glorious day that will be.
There'll be no sorrow there
No more burdens to bear
No more sickness, no pain
No more parting over there
And forever I will be
With the One who died for me
What a day, glorious day that will be.
What a day that will be
When my Jesus I shall see
And I look upon His face
The One who saved my by His grace
When He takes me by the hand
And leads me through the Promised Land
What a day, glorious day that will be.
The Lord's gain will be our loss. Thank you Lord, was time well spent.
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