The Writer's Pen

Thanksgiving. Giving thanks. It’s a special time of reminiscing about what we are thankful for. Have you ever written down on paper all that you have to be thankful for? If we could think of everything, it would no doubt fill up a book.

I was born the oldest child into a loving family in Billings, Mont. I eventually had two brothers, Jerry and Ronald. Ron died at the age of 24 of Hodgkins Disease. I would wish he’d have lived much longer, but I am thankful for the memories we have of him. He was a wonderful young man and a fine example to those younger.

My brother, Jerry, and I have had a close relationship most of our lives. When we were growing up, maybe not so much, but I learned something when I was about 15. One of the older girls on the bus was picking on him and it made me awfully angry, thinking, “He’s my brother, and if I want to pick on him I can, but you keep your hands off.” That was a wake-up call to me. It showed me that I really did care about him and I don’t think I ever picked on him again after that. I’m so thankful for my brother, although we haven’t seen each other for well over a year due to health concerns.

I’m so thankful for my Godly parents who always took us to church every week, and for my pastor when I was a teenager. He had a great influence on my life. I’m so grateful for piano lessons, although at the time I wasn’t so sure. I’m glad that I am still able to play for church services.

I’m grateful for the opportunity to attend Bible College. Those were fun years during which time I did a lot of growing up. It’s where I met my husband and we were called to the ministry. He has been pastoring now for 60-plus years and we are thankful for that opportunity. God has given us five sons and wonderful daughters-in-law who we love dearly. We have 20 delightful grandchildren who are the light of our lives and five adorable great-grandchildren. They are all precious to us. Even in adulthood, no matter what their age, they are still so precious – but they are all so far away.

My husband would say that he is thankful to be alive. He can point to four or five times when he had a close brush with death, but God spared him. Once he came close to being stomped on by a big horse when he was about 2 and had wandered into the corral where the horse was. Another time he was accidentally shot with an arrow right between the eyes. I’m thankful that God spared his life in those instances. He also successfully recovered from open-heart surgery about three years ago. Who ever had the crazy idea that they could take a skill saw and cut open a person’s chest, do the needed repairs and the patient live to tell about it? We are thankful for those who have gone before and showed it could be done.

We have all heard or read the 9/11 stories of people who were detained for one reason or another and were not on that fateful airplane that day. I often wonder what God has spared us from when we are running a little late or have to take a detour. Some of these blessings we will probably never know.

We are so thankful for the opportunity to serve the Lord in Hartley for about 45 years. When that ministry closed, God called us and has allowed us to serve Him at First Baptist Church in Adrian, Minn. Bruce never dreamed he’d still be preaching in his old age, even though it’s what he loves to do, but here he is still preaching every Sunday. We wouldn’t have it any other way.

Janet Branson is a former resident of Hartley and a member of the Writers Group. Her husband was pastor of Central Avenue Baptist Church for many years. She writes family history, genealogy, personal experience essays and an occasional poem. Her work has been printed in several of the Shapato anthology books by Jean Tennant and some of her poems have appeared in Lyrical Iowa.