I have been going through family history records and found the following story. When Shelby was in Young Women's and working on her Personal Progress she requested a story from her Grandma Thude. Grandma wrote the following (I added the pictures):
A Child's Prayer
"When I was a girl of 10 or 11 years old I was invited to spend some time with my Aunt Beth, Uncle Henry and my cousin Billy on their ranch. It was called the UB, because that was their brand.
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| Vida - 1946 |
The ranch was in the mountains near the San Carlos Lake (We called it Coolidge lake in those days).
The homestead was miles back in the mountains. It was in a canyon with mountains rising up on both sides.
My cousin had a rug in his room that was made from the skin of a mountain lion, head still attached with glassy eyes that shone out at you that was killed out on their range.
One day after spending all day at the ranch with just Aunt Beth my Uncles Henry and Toad (David M.) and Billy came in from riding the range. It was late afternoon and my uncles decided that they wanted to go check the conditions in the little horse pasture. It was acres and acres big, small only in comparison to the Big pasture.
Since I had been home all day they ask if I would like to go. They didn’t plan on being gone long. I was happy to go and so we rode out.
We went down the canyon and then took a trail up to the top of one of the many rolling mountains. After we got up there we looked around and my uncles decided they needed to go farther.
I was wearing light weight fabric slacks and the terrain was rough with lots of brush that could tear right through your clothes.
It was getting close to sun down and my uncles ask me if I would like to go with them (it would be after dark when they got home) or would I like to go back to the house. I chose to return to the house.
Uncle Henry told me to just follow the trail down to the canyon and then follow the canyon home.
I rode "Sparky" down the trail in one direction and my uncles went on in the opposite direction.
The sun had gone down behind the mountain and it was dusk when I reached the floor of the canyon. I was confused, for of course the canyon went two directions, and I didn’t know which way was home.
I knew if you give a horse this head he will return to where he is used to being fed. But Sparky was often allowed to roam free in the small horse pasture, and so home to him was two different directions.
It was getting dark and I heard a coyote howl, his howl echoing down the canyon. I called my Aunts name, but no answer. Again the coyote howl echoed down the canyon.
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| Vida & Jim 1948 |
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| Vida - date unkown |
I was truly frightened. I knew I needed to pray, but I was too afraid to get off my horse. So sitting in the saddle, I prayed to my Heavenly Father, a simple prayer, asking Him to get me back to my Aunt Beth.
I sat astride my horse and called my Aunt, my voice again echoing down the twilight of the canyon, only silence followed. Then suddenly Sparkly jumped as if he had been struck on his hip by a switch, and then he burst into a full gallop down the canyon. He ran and ran and didn’t stop until he come to a halt in front of my Aunt, who was standing in the front yard.
Although my uncles assured me that my horse brought me home safely, I was there and I know without a shadow of a doubt that my Heavenly Father answered my prayer, a cry to Him for
help from a child of His in need. I have had a testimony of prayer all of my life and I bear my testimony to you that I know that God hears and answer prayers."
Your loving,
Grandma Vida Haggard Thude
Love it, thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteSurprised you saw it. Thanks for commenting. I have more to share :)
DeleteWhat a great story and testimony of prayer! Thank you for sharing it.
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