Page 7 - 2016OnThePathMay01

The power of prayer in a time of tragedy
Lieutenant Charles Smith
Commanding officer for the Salvation Army
Iwas asked the question the other day, if I believed in the power of prayer and of course I answered in the affirmative.
as he spoke, he said, “If you live in these towns please take shelter immediately,” and he repeated the names of the towns again. Among that list was the name of the town that we lived in Albion, Okla. My mother shouted, “grab your jacket,” so I immediately ran back to my room, stepped into the hallway and that is when our home began to lean and I fell in the hallway, bracing myself by my sister’s room. The mobile home began to lean and we could hear several loud popping sounds, which seem to have come up from the ground and then our home began to roll at a very rapid rate. As it was doing this I recall that I could see my mother and sister helplessly being tossed about my sis- ter’s room like rag dolls. After the third time that it rolled, our home exploded and I had fallen face first on the ground. I could hear my sister crying and my mother calling for us.
As I tried to get up, my right leg had a severe pain shoot through it and I could see where my mother and sister were among the pieces of the damaged home. All of a sudden a guy pulled up in a pickup truck and called to us, he had barely missed the tornado hitting his house and he was going around helping others to get to a safe place. I remember getting placed in an ambulance and being transported to a hospital, while my mom
and sister were going to go to Sparks hospital in Fort Smith. Eventually my dad got off work and got home to only discover he didn’t have a home any longer. He found out where we were through the local sheriff and came and saw me after spend- ing most of the time with my mom and sister.
My dad was not only working at Franklin Electric in Wilburton, Okla. at the time, but he was also pastoring a small church. He asked several of the members to be praying with him about the situa- tion and heal us three. My spine was fractured in three places and the doctor told my dad that there was a possibility that I would not be able to walk like I used to, my mother had contracted spinal meningitis and my sister had head trauma. My dad also reached out to certain members of my family that had deep faith and believed that we could be healed. I am thankful that to this day, many peo- ple had prayed for my family and believed in full recuperation.
The verse that inspired my father during this time is found in Matthew 18:19, “Again, I say unto, that if two of you shall agree on earth as touching anything that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.”
I really do believe in the power of
prayer and have seen this in my
own life. It was Nov. 21, 1983, that
not only my life, but the life of
my Father, mother and little sister
would be changed forever. It was
on that day that my mom, little
sister and myself had travelled to
Talihina, Okla. to purchase some
groceries and run some errands
as well. I remember that day very
well, in fact, it was a clear day
with no cloud in the sky. The air
was crisp so we had taken jackets with us, so we wouldn’t catch a chill. As my mother pulled the vehicle into the parking area at home, she remind- ed me to not go in the house yet, but to help her bring the groceries in.
After I sat the sack down on the counter, I turned on the television set and ran my jacket to my bedroom. I remember hearing the reporters voice
Charles Smith
Norphlet First Baptist Church to have activities for youth this summer
Og. Mandino
Beginning June 6 and continuing through June 10, Norphlet First Baptist Church will be hosting a Sports Crusaders Basketball Camp for children grades first through eighth. The cost is $35 per child.
Following the basketball camp, the church will have a Vacation Bible School nightly for grades pre-K through sixth grade. The VBS is free of charge.
Finishing out June on the 29th and going through Aug. 10, a CenterShot Archery workshop will be offered. The cost is $30 per child and includes a T-shirt and snacks.
For more information, contact Jon Norvell at jon. norvell@gmail.com.
Always do your best. What you plant
now, you will
harvest later.
:
El Dorado NEWS-TIMES – Saturday, April 30, 2016 – 7
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