Down the Road

This past week, my sister and I took a road trip to Wisconsin. Our initial reason for planning this trip was to visit our last remaining aunt and uncle. We soaked up the stories Uncle Wendell and Aunt LeVila told while we relaxed in their living room. We asked many questions and they graciously answered every one of them. Not that they don’t enjoy telling stories – after all, they owned and produced the weekly Muscoda paper for decades. I was four years old when my dad and Uncle Wendell loaded up his and Aunt LeVila’s belongings into Dad’s stock truck and we took off for a world too far away. Revisiting these memories from so long ago was indeed delightful, but we found other gems along the trip as well. Once I got home and reviewed all we had seen and done, it came to mind, that as beautiful as the autumn is in Wisconsin with its peaceful hillsides of reds, oranges, yellows and left-over greens, the ultimate take home for me was the building up and knitting together of past relationships.

Traveling down highway 20 on our way home, we detoured off the road a couple of miles to the tiny village of McLean NE where our folks grew up and became best friends. The old Methodist Church where Mom and Dad were confirmed and then married; where all three of us kids were baptized, and where my Grandma Esther played the piano, still stands – barely. The boards are more gray than white now, and windows are boarded up. Time races on and things change, but it was a pleasant feeling to remember the people that had gathered there on Sunday mornings when I was a child, some of them family, but all of them friends. Most of those family and friends have gone on to sing bass, tenor, and soprano in heavenly choirs.

That same day we toured McLean, we visited with my cousin, Barb, and her daughter in the nearby town of Randolph. Barb grew up in McLean as well and she filled us in on some of the folks we had known in the past. We learned that Sue Voss, a past Sunday school teacher in that McLean church resided now at the nursing home in Randolph. My thoughts were taken back to flannel board characters, “Jesus Loves Me”, and making church buildings with the interlaced fingers of our hands. How many of you remember….this is the church, this is the steeple, open up the doors and see all the people?

A pleasant young man offered to show us Sue’s room. She was sitting in the chair when Connie and I stepped through the open door and into her private room. Neither of us had seen Sue since Grandma Esther’s funeral; exactly 20 years prior. Sue was, of course, caught off guard by our impromptu visit. I introduced us as DeLila and Connie – Ruth and Paul’s daughters.

Immediately, Sue exploded in excitement.

“David Paul, DeLila Ruth, Connie Jean!” she clapped with enthusiasm. Connie and I both agreed later that we had never seen someone express such excitement over anything. It was obvious we had made Sue’s day, but in turn, she made ours. It was truly another delightful experience. Before we left, she stood and gave each of us a prolonged and deep hug.

Hebrews 13:7 reminds us to not forget the example of our spiritual leaders who have spoken God’s messages to us. Sue had been a dedicated Sunday school teacher, teaching in that church for as long as I attended. And Hebrews 10:25 tells us not to neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another. I am so glad we took the time to visit Sue -I could say it was worth every minute, but really…it was priceless.

Connie and I were so blessed by each of our meetings with family and friends on this adventure. It will be a memory well preserved and if you can’t tell….I’ve become an overnight fan of road trips.

Until next time…Keep on readin’ and I’ll keep on writin’.