When my husband and I arrived in Amarillo on March 7, most of the trees were brittle and bare with nothing but brownish grey twigs sticking out in every direction. What grass is here in the High Plains was also a brownish grey color with very little life left to behold by way of the visible eye. Dried out tumbleweeds rolled across expressway lanes and bustled into fields, gathering against the ever-present fencerows.
The terrain offered precious little hope for the beginning days of spring that were to follow in a few short days. The Texas long horn cattle seemed to be constantly searching for a few blades of green grass to eat and were very dependent on their owners to put out fresh hay each day.
It is no wonder that the folks who came to west Texas to settle this rugged land had to be made from sturdy stock and able to withstand terrible onslaughts of unpredictable weather, long periods of snow and ice and winds that are unimaginable until you’ve seen and felt them first hand. I had been hearing about the northern winds that blow up out of nowhere, but I now have experienced them gusting up to 30 or 40 mph and coming without any warning at all. On a typical day in early spring in Amarillo in the heart of the High Plains of Texas, it is not uncommon to have snow, sleet, rain, gusting winds and dust storms all within a 24-hour period of time.
The standard joke is “if you don’t like the weather here in the Panhandle, stick around and it will change soon.” A good half of the newscasts each night is dedicated to weather that might change or remain the same.
We’ve been here at our home in the Panhandle for a little over four weeks this visit, and lo and behold, things have changed drastically. We were down at the city administration buildings one day last week and I took pictures of beautiful pink crab apple blossoms that seemed to light up the parks and streets. Tulips and pansies were in competition for color and hints of spring in many of the manicured flowerbeds which surrounded the city offices. Those dry, brittle trees now had little green buds and tiny leaves shooting out all over reminding onlookers that God is still in His heaven and that He is still in control. The seasons change at His instruction and the beauty that we love and admire are gifts from His hand.
These reminders of new life, rebirth and springtime were welcome intruders for us and for several families we’ve spent time with during our visit. During those bleak days between winter and spring, one friend of ours was notified that his mom was seriously ill and hospitalized with little hope of recovery. Dutch left Amarillo and drove to Plainview to be with his beloved mother. The doctors said there was little hope and transferred her to a hospice service on Friday. On Saturday morning, we received word that she had died from her many different medical conditions. The three children, now grown, started to plan her funeral service and burial.
On Sunday morning, a mutual friend, came over to our house early in the day and said, “I’m so sorry to bring this news, but Dutch’s family has had another death. His 57-year-old sister, also named Brenda, had been the chief caregiver for the 87-year-old mother.
Dutch and his sister, Patty, were on their way to her home to complete the funeral arrangements when the phone rang and the brother in law said in a broken voice, “Brenda is dead. “When I went in to wake her this morning, I found her dead in our bed.”
No one could believe the news at first. It took a while to settle in and then the reality was just terrible. Brenda left three children and several grandchildren. What was left of the family now had two funerals and burials to plan for within hours of each other. Ted and I drove to Vernon, Texas and attended the memorial service with two flower-draped caskets at the front of the funeral home.
Two days later, our phone again rang with sad news. One of Ted’s former students had died suddenly of a heart condition. His 14-year-old son had found him dead in his recliner in Venus, just outside of Fort Worth. Jon had been an outstanding student at Tascosa High School, active in several organizations and one of Ted’s two state presidents in the VICA organization (now called SkillsUSA). He had been a ranking employee in the Texas Bankers Association and presently served as the budget officer for the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals. Death came so suddenly to the promising 45-year-old father.
We drove to Plainview for this service and spent time with the family and friends who were still in a state of shock over their loss. Three funerals in just a few short days brought home again the truth that life is not promised to any of us. Jon was 45, Brenda was 57 and Dutch’s mom was 87, but not one family member was ready to give them up to the grave.
As we drove home from the memorial service in Vernon, we began to notice the first signs of spring. Buds were on trees and bushes and there was some green in the grasses and fields that we passed. We were reminded once again that God is in control and that He determines everything that happens to us. Hope springs eternal for those who put their trust in the Lord. He is able to keep them in every situation and in every sorrow and to bring a new day of life everlasting. Our friends will see their loved one again if they put their trust in Christ. He has gone to prepare a place for us, according to John 14, and we are told in Scripture that it will be a beautiful place beyond our human imagination.
“My hope is as an anchor, both sure and steadfast…” (Hebrews 6:19)
Brenda Cannon Henley can be reached at (409) 781-8788 or at brendacannonhenley@yahoo.com.
.jpg)
No comments:
Post a Comment