About 1950, daddy made a deposit on a chicken farm in Oregon. When we returned to our farm in SE Colorado, mother became ill and could not move. Daddy lost the deposit.
How would I be different if we had moved? Would I still be Oneta Hayes, Christian conservative? Would I be burning flags and throwing stones? Or apathetic with either?
I’m glad we did not make that move. A path might seem right to us but God knows the path we should be on.
Church elders came mid night and prayed for mother. She was fine the next morning.
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True story from my life written in response to Rochelle’s picture prompt submitted by J Hardy Carroll. You can go to Rochelle’s and click the frog beneath the picture to find other stories prompted by this picture. https://rochellewisoff.com/
About oneta hayes
ABOUT ME
Hello. To various folks I am Neat’nee, Mom, Grandma Neta, Gramma, Aunt Neta, Aunt Noni, Aunt Neno, and Aunt Neto (lots of varieties from little nieces and nephews). To some I’m more like “Didn’t you used to be my teacher?” or “Don’t I know you from someplace?” To you, perhaps, I am a Fellow Blogger. Not “fellow” like a male or a guy, but “fellow” like a companion or an adventurer. I would choose to be Grandma Blogger, and have you pull up a chair, my website before you, while I tell you of some days of yore. I have experienced life much differently than most of you. It was and is a good life. I hope to share nuggets of appreciation for those who have gone before me and those who come after me. By necessity you are among those who come after me and I will tell you of those who came before. Once upon a time in a little house on a prairie - oops, change that lest I commit plagiarism - and change that “house on the prairie” to “dugout on the prairie.” So my story begins...
Sweet aroma 
Good story, good reminder. “Be still, and know…” indeed. Sometimes his answer is ‘no’, sometimes ‘wait for it’….
I have often tangled with the genetic/environmental influence on one’s character. I lean toward environment as the one with more weight. Thanks for the comment.
One cannot play the “coulda, shoulda, woulda” game because you just don’t know.
Very true, and works with me because I am happy with my lot in life. A lot of people are not. I don’t think it hurts to evaluate where one might have gone wrong and see what can be done to get on a happier track. I always enjoy interacting with you, Dale. Thanks.
Oh for sure. It never hurts to take a self-evaluation 😉 So glad you do! Have a great weekend!
😀
I think God often protects us. We don’t know who or what will influence us, or cause us to wander off course in the future. Hence, the wisdom of trusting our lives into God’s hands.
The trust does help. As far as I know Daddy and Mom never rued the decision, because they believed the hand of God was shown by the circumstances (mother’s illness).
Good story. Its amazing what the power of faith can actually do at times.
I believe in the literal involvement of God’s Holy Spirit acting as a personal guide in one’s life. However, even if one does not, it is still a calming influence to have faith in good things. That brings about an atmosphere in which wise decisions can win out over making spur of the moment decisions that are based on receiving immediate satisfaction. Thanks for your comment.
I agree, Oneta.
Having that faith creates positive energy. If we can embody that positivity as much as possible. Then through the way of god or by will of the university we can be rewarded with positive outcomes when we need them.
God is soooo good.
Ummm, umm. Ain’t that so!
I often wonder about the path not taken.
The circumstances in our environment have a lot to do with our character. The chosen path is very important, But as I said someplace above, we never get ourselves in such a fix that God will not rescue. However, we might carry a lot of negative baggage as a result.
So very true: “God knows the path we should be on”. So thankful for your witness. You are getting the good news out.
Bless you.
Thank you, Michael. I respect your confirmation.
A perfect example of divine intervention.
I’m sure somebody was praying for us. Thanks, Keith.
Makes me wonder if your mom shared your lack of enthusiasm about the move and it made her sick? Interesting story any which way you look at it.
I think not. It all seemed like a very exciting move to make. Mother would have loved the chicken thing. I was not opposed to going. I was not the kind to question the decisions they made. Mother had had a history of stomach sickness but not to the place of disabling her until this occurrence. My Dad’s brother lived there and we had had a family from our church who moved there so we were sort of fired up to go.
I don’t play the ‘what-if’ game – there are too many pitfalls!
A reasonable perspective. I think it is harmless if one is happy with one’s life; if one is not, it might cause depression. Thanks for commenting.
In some ways we open and shut many doors in our life, yet I think that we have less control than we realise
You might be right. If one sincerely prays for “closed” or “open” doors trusting in Divine Guidance, he generally does not know everything that is being closed and opened. Interesting perspective.
One who did not move west. What a lost opportunity? We could have been having coffee somewhere in downtown Portland or catching a open air Shakespeare in Ashland.
And all you can think of is flag burning? Partner, you disappoint me. Graduate to insurrections and Capitol occupation😂.
Hey, hey, Partner. You back on the mat? Did you not read that I gave a third option – being apathetic to current situations – like supporting riots that include killing people and burning property – calling them peaceful protests protected by the Constitution. Freedom of speech and all that. But storming down the halls of the Capitol is insurrection! No burning. No stone throwing. Oh, yes. There was broken windows with a young unarmed woman climbing into someplace where she was killed, government protected. I’m very curious about why the Capitol Police did not prepare for that day when they had been told that it was in the works. “In the works” planning by whom. Interested? I am. Good to get the spears back out. Did you take a trip? Have a vacation? Missed you.
My partner the conspiracy theorists 😀.
When you don’t know something, try name calling. 😀
Ah, I see. Truth hurts, eh😂.
Sadly, it does, most of the time. Fortunately Truth still stands firm, hurting or not.
Unfortunately distortion has become the norm for truth in certain quarters because of their political calculations.
They have learnt the art of manipulation and brainwashing of their supporters quite well.
Recently watched a movie The Best of Enemies on Netflix based on 1970s Durham, NC. The movie is still so appropriate for current times.
I did take a short trip, two nights to the Sierra mountains with a short hike of about five – six miles up to 8600 feet. Maybe I should post some photos from there.
Did you go alone? Family? Group? Yes, I would like pictures. Temperature was probably very nice, huh? Could use some details to your story.
We were a group of nineteen. All adults (four adult kids). Fifteen of us went for the hike. We took it slow. It was worth it. I shall post it on my blog once I figure out resizing the photos on my phone for posting to WordPress. Otherwise lots of memory space get wasted.
That sounds like so much fun for people who can hike. Good for you. Do some family pics as well as scenic. I’d like to see the folks who have the grace to live with you. 😀
It was fun.
Hey, I can say the same for you 😂.
Grace, grace, God’s grace – That’s what my family has for me. 😀
Praise the Lord! The Lord is so able to direct our paths. The day I was going to leave my Nevada preschool job and move back to Texas I woke up with food poisoning and was too sick to make it to the phone to call for an ambulance. I stayed, found a wonderful Christian man, we got married…and then we BOTH moved to Texas!
What a neat story! You must have that in a book, great plot and testimony.