Trust the Lord completely - Proverbs 3:5
Today's reminder was so awesome to see this morning! It made me think about the ways I trust in the Lord (and the ways I don't... to which I try to remind myself that He has my life under control...) And then I started thinking about the influences in my life and how they trust. Which brought my grandparents (in the picture above) to mind.
Their story is so sweet and incredibly real, I HAVE to share with you today!!
My Ninny and Papa (Mabel and Harlon Keel) met on a blind date... apparently her cousin was asked out on a date, and asked to bring 2 of her friends. My Papa and his cousins were the dates! The way it apparently worked is that whoever got in the car first had first pick of the boys and so on. Luckily, Ninny was picked up first! She got in the car and saw my Papa in the back. The rest is history!
When she was alive, she told me that she knew the moment she saw him that he was made just for her. He said the same thing, in a totally different and unrelated moment. They truly loved each other!
They dated for approximately 2 years before Papa was called up to do his duty for his country. He was about to be shipped out to Italy during WW2, and he wanted to marry her before he left! He had 2 days furlough in North Carolina, and she had to get there! She started packing, and had a specific dress in mind to wear on her wedding day. Her mother, Great Grandma Covington, noticed that she kept packing the dress... so Great Grandma would take the dress out. This apparently went on all evening, until finally Ninny had to leave - without the dress. Little did Great Grandma know that a simple dress would not keep her from the love of her life!
On December 9, 1943, in North Carolina, they were married by a Justice of the Peace in his office! Papa was so nervous, he dropped the wedding ring... it rolled under the judges desk, and Papa - in uniform, no less - got down on his hands and knees to find the ring! I can only imagine the laughter that came out of the office!!
I am told that the next day, Papa was on his way to Italy and Ninny was on her way back home. She trusted God would bring Papa home to her - I mean, He brought him into her life, why would He take him away so soon?
Papa came home from the war!! Not entirely unscathed (he was wounded and awarded a purple heart) but he was home! They spent the years building their lives together, but Papa took up drinking. He would go out every night, drink till he couldn't hardly walk, and then come home. In the morning, Ninny would get him ready for work while getting the kids ready for school. They lived like this for a while... Ninny always trusting that God would take care of the family, would eventually sober Papa up, and provide for them.
Great Grandma Covington came to live with them at one point, and would always ask Papa to drive her to local revivals. Papa would take her, but would sit in his car and drink while listening to the music. He said that was his favorite part. The music. One night, a song struck Papa in just the right way that he got out of his car, stumbled to the alter (cause he had been drinking) and gave his life over to Christ. From that moment, he was sober and never drank another drop! He turned his whole family over, and was never the same!! If the church doors were open, the family was in church. It's amazing, the restoration that God can do!
In 1968 or 1969, their youngest daughter was diagnosed with cancer... I won't go into it, but the whole family kept trusting God. He would make her well. When she died in 1972, she believed that Jesus would be the one greeting her in Heaven! Ninny and Papa continued to trust that God was in control and would have the whole situation in His hands.
My whole life, I knew that they trusted God for everything. Finances, Health, Safety, EVERYTHING. When something happened, they prayed. When tragedy struck, they prayed. Even when I was going through my alcoholism and running wild, they never stopped trusting that God was in control.
The day Papa died, Ninny prayed and said that she trusted that God knew what He was doing. She missed him so much, but she never lost her faith. Not through Papa being in Italy, not through Papa's drinking, or through Terri Jean's cancer, or any other bit of life that came their way. They trusted God for every step.
So, when I saw today's verse, I knew exactly what I needed to share - the story of Ninny and Papa Keel.
I miss them so much that sometimes it physically hurts. They were so very important to me, and they made sure I knew how important I was to them! So many things they taught me, and one major thing is trusting the Lord in all things.
Trust the Lord completely - Proverbs 3:5
Are you trusting Him completely? What is holding you back?
