The
Shepherd's Gift....A Tribute To My Christian Family in Lincoln, IL
Another Page In Laurel Jean’s
Scrapbook |
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The shepherd’s staff pictured here stands in my office in
Ramsey, IL. The story behind this unique
gift actually began many years ago in my rural hometown of Shelbyville,
IL.
My paternal grandfather earned his living as a farmer.
He also raised sheep and trained border
collies on his farm. When I was seven,
my father was killed on his job as a lineman with the local Rural
Electric
Cooperative. My parents were divorced
prior to Dad’s death, and I was not really close to my father’s side of
the
family. Still, for several years, my mom
and I made an effort to stay in touch with my paternal grandparents,
especially
after my father’s death.
I was
amazed at my grandfather Walden’s ability
to work with
animals, and his homespun creativity. He
had a couple of rather authentic-looking shepherd’s staffs, which he
had
whittled from saplings that he found in the woods near his home.
As my
grandparents needed healthcare in their later years,
they sold their farm to cover these costs.
I always wondered about the shepherd’s staffs, which were most likely
lost in a fire several years ago.
Fast forward to May, 2006, when my ministry took me to the
Lincoln Church of the Nazarene in Lincoln, IL.
I arrived at the church early to set up.
As I stepped into the pastor’s office, my mom who was with me
exclaimed,
“Laurel! You have to see this staff!”
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On the
wall of the pastor’s office, resting on simple nails,
was an authentically hand carved shepherd’s staff.
I was admiring it when Pastor Greg entered
the room. As we shook hands and
exchanged greetings, I told him the story of my paternal grandfather,
and
Pastor Greg told me about his parishioner, Brother Steve, who carved
the staff
as a gift.
The day’s ministry
at Lincoln Church of the Nazarene was a
blessing for all of us. During a phone
conversation the following week, Pastor Greg told me to be expecting a
surprise, and the next time I was in Lincoln, IL, he presented me with
my own
staff, the one pictured above. Pastor
Greg told my story to Brother Steve, who created a special staff for
me, made
to accommodate simulated Braille dots bearing my Grandpa Walden’s name
in his
memory. For the proper placement of the
Braille, Pastor Greg and Brother Steve recruited the help of Bill
Dolan,
Station Manager of Lincoln’s Christian
Radio,
WLLM.
I always
thank God for my Christian family, including those
recently introduced to me in Lincoln, IL. I
thank God for the memory of my paternal
grandfather, his creativity,
his ability to tell stories, his work with animals, and his faith that
God can
produce a bountiful harvest, even when the rain doesn’t fall.
We all
receive traits from our biological families, but most
important is the Eternal life that we receive when we know Jesus as our
personal Lord and Savior. We need not
feel deserted when we are separated from our earthly family by divorce,
death
or any other circumstances. When
disaster strikes and destroys material things, which keep us close to
our
earthly families, let us always remember that Jesus lives and has
claimed us as
His own. In Him, we are part of a family
that will never perish.
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1407 D Trailmore Dr.,
Charleston, SC 29407
843-556-0514 or 618-423-9783 (Central
IL)
E-mail: info@laureljean.com
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