God’s Little Giant

She was only 4’ 10’’ but she was one of God’s giants in the faith. She was a real saint of God. I call her a saint, not as some use the word in the more formal Catholic since, but as a person who faithfully serves God and sets an example for others. For nearly ninety years, she faithfully served her Lord. Her name was Ida Hicks but everyone called her Sister Hicks. This was more than just recognition of our mutual spiritual kinship. It was a title of honor. She and her sister were greatly instrumental in the founding of the church that I pastored from 1982 – 88. The church was in the small farm community of Arvin, California.

During some of the harder times of this small church’s history, she had been the majority of its financial support. However, she never used that support for dictatorial power. Many lesser men and women have done so. Such power has many times entrapped and suffocated many small churches. She simply served the church in her humble way.

Wintertime in Arvin is, as in many agricultural areas, the financially leaner months. Sister Hicks would piece together quilt tops. Whenever a quilt top was ready, she and several other women of the church would get together for a Quilting Day. These quilts, plus many baked items were sold to augment the church treasury during the winter months. Read the rest of this entry »

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The Parrot that Would Not Talk

A recently widowed lady was very lonely so she decided to buy a dog for companionship. She went to the local pet shop and asked to see the puppies. She explained to the owner of the shop why she wanted a dog. The man responded that for her situation he had something better than a dog. He showed her a parrot. He explained that he had purchased the parrot from the son of a lady that had just passed away. He assured her that the parrot talked all the time and would make her a great companion.

The widow decided to purchase the parrot and a new cage. After about two weeks she came back to the pet store complaining that the parrot had not spoken a word since she had taken him home. “That’s strange,” said the shop owner. After thinking for awhile he said “you know the old cage had a ladder in it and the parrot frequently played on it. Maybe a ladder is what he needs to be happy.” So the widow purchased the ladder and took it home. Read the rest of this entry »

The Struggling Turtle

The sun had just risen over the high cleft that overlooked the water about one hundred feet directly below. From the edge of the lake emerged a small young turtle. There were birds overhead as the little turtle began to climb the slope that eventually would take him to the top of the hill.

As he began to make his way up the incline, the terrain proved to be a sharp contrast to the smooth sandy soil that surrounded the waterfront. There were numerous rocks that he had to climb over or navigate around. Just when his legs seemed to not be able to sustain his journey, the angle of ascent increased. However, he was determined to conquer the hill and peer over the edge. He also had another goal in mind but first he had to make it to the top. Read the rest of this entry »