CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Another year rolled by, a year of blessings for Donnie, even though he had spent many lonely hours. But because he had been sanctified wholly early in his Christian walk, he was enabled by the Spirit to triumph in spite of all his many trials.
For the past few weeks, God had been dealing with Donnie in a new way.
"I feel God wants me to preach," he confided to his pastor one day as they sat in Brother Morgan's study.
Brother Morgan was silent for a few moments, weighing the matter carefully. Then he said, "Donnie, it's not going to be easy for you to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ in your circumstances. I know you've done everything in your power to make reconciliation with your wife, and God sees and understands. He knows the whole situation. Still it's going to be rough sledding. As for pastoring, you know as well as I do that every pastor needs a companion. A wife is a great asset to a minister and in certain situations, a real necessity, for there are some places a minister cannot go without his wife. Trying to be a preacher of the gospel without having a companion makes a difficult situation. Perhaps you could go into evangelistic work."
Donnie sat silent, his face downcast.
Placing a hand on Donnie's shoulder, Brother Morgan said, "I'm sorry to have discouraged you, Donnie. I want you to know I'll do all I can to help you."
"Perhaps I was mistaken. Maybe God isn't calling me," Donnie said, His voice troubled. "But I've prayed a lot about it. I wouldn't have said anything if I hadn't felt pretty sure."
Brother Morgan patted Donnie's shoulder. "God knows His business, Donnie, and if He is calling you to preach, He will make a way." As an afterthought, he asked, "you haven't heard anything from Sharon, have you?"
"No, Brother Morgan."
Donnie had tried to call Sharon not long after he got saved, but her parents' phone was disconnected. He had gone to the house, only to find that the family had moved. He wrote, hoping the letter would be forwarded, but it was returned marked, "Moved, no forwarding address."
"You know I've tried every way to contact her," Donnie told his pastor. "All I know to do now is to pray. Mom and I have agreed to hold on in prayer that God will help us find her, whether she is married or not. Even though it may be too late for a reconciliation with Sharon, I feel my responsibility for Christy. I don't want my little daughter to grow up with no knowledge of God. Mom and I are fasting together every Wednesday, and we are believing God to answer prayer."
"Just keep holding on. It looks like that's what it's going to take." Brother Morgan encouraged him. "And I don't think you should give up praying for your little family to be reunited. God is able. I want you to know I admired the way you handled the situation with Lisa. I know it wasn't easy for either of you, but I believe God will reward you for your obedience to His Word."
"I suppose that was one of the most difficult things I have ever gone through, unless, of course, it was losing my wife and baby, but I have no regrets."
"Had you heard that Lisa is engaged to Steve Wilder?" Brother Morgan questioned.
"Yes, and I'm glad that I can truthfully say I'm delighted to know she has found happiness with another. She and Steve make a fine couple."
As soon as Donnie left Brother Morgan's study, the devil began hounding him, telling him he was altogether unfit to be a minister of the gospel. Donnie felt discouraged and began to have second thoughts about his call. Maybe he had been mistaken after all. He thought of discussing it with his mother but changed his mind; She would probably discourage him further, he thought. He wished he had never written his friend, Jim Chaney, a couple of weeks back. He was probably against it, too.
For several days he fought an awful spiritual battle against the powers of darkness. Time and again, Satan whispered suggestions to cause him to despair. In a weak moment, he decided to reconsider his dad's job offer, which he had previously rejected.
So the following Saturday morning he headed out to see his dad.
Mr. Slocum was surprised to see him. Donnie decided to get right to the point, but as soon as he mentioned his purpose for coming, his dad's face clouded.
"I'm sorry, son. I've already hired a man, and he's been in training for several months now. But if you're sure you've got your mind made up, maybe we can work out something."
But Donnie's mind was in a turmoil. He wasn't at all sure he had it made up. So he talked to Mr. Slocum at length about the work.
"You understand, Donnie, business is business," Mr. Slocum had explained while they were conversing. "There are times when you have to use a crooked pencil and tell a few white lies to swing a deal. You seem to have become a pretty honest lad lately, and I feel I need to let you know what will be expected of you. We can't lose money by being too honest, you know. I hope you understand. I'm not a crook, Donnie, but in big businesses, that's the way things work."
"That settles it then, Dad. I'll never work for you if I have to be a liar and a cheat."
Mr. Slocum's face turned crimson. "I don't consider myself a liar and a cheat. Are you calling me that?"
"I'm simply telling you, Dad, that I will not do one thing crooked. I've had to make too many crooked paths straight, to fall into that trap again. Since Jesus saved.me, He has kept me straight, so I guess it's good you hired another man. I wouldn't fit in your business.”
Donnie felt that a burden had been lifted off him as he headed for home. Ever since his dad had made him the offer of being vice-president of his firm, it had tempted him from time to time, when things got rough or his finances got low. But today he had settled it forever. Never again would he be tempted to work for his dad.
Mrs. Slocum was all excited when Donnie got home.
"Connie's coming home," she announced as she met him at the door.
"What?" Donnie couldn't believe it. "Why? Her term isn't up yet."
"I received a telegram from Larry today. It's due to sickness. I don't know the details. The last letter I got from her she was having problems, severe stomach cramps and fatigue. I trust it's nothing real serious. Larry added, 'Don't worry,' on the telegram. But how can I help worrying? I know how she loves the work there and how hard it will be for her to leave. She must be awfully sick. Perhaps she has some bad disease."
"Let's not surmise too much, Mom. I'm sure if she was critical, Larry would have told us. Maybe she just needs a rest. Let's pray for God to touch her and give them traveling mercies. I'm sorry she's coming home because of sickness, but I can hardly wait to see my twin sister. What a great time of fellowship we will have together!"
"Oh, in my excitement over Connie's coming I almost forgot to give you this letter. It's from your friend, Brother Jim Chaney, but he has a different address."
Wondering about the change of address, Donnie opened it and read:
Dear Brother Donnie,
Sorry I haven't answered sooner, but much has happened since receiving your letter. As you see by my address, we have moved. I left behind some of God's choicest saints at Casper Loop, but God has definitely led in our new venture for Him.
We're pastoring a much smaller church here at Jennings. It's strange how God led us here. When we received this call, I had no intentions at all of leaving Casper Loop. In fact, I, thought I was there to stay. Ha! I hardly thought it worthwhile to even pray about this call. I just took my pen in hand to let them know I wasn't available, but God checked me. So I brought it to God in earnest prayer. As I prayed, I felt impressed that God wanted me to accept the call. I couldn't understand it (and still don't), as I was so happy and satisfied where I was. I just loved the work and people there. The Lord was blessing and souls were being saved, but finally I prayed through and knew beyond any shadow of a doubt that God wanted me to make a move. I resigned the church at Casper Loop, against the entreaties of the people there. Thank God, they were able to get a good pastor that I feel will take up right where I left off.
So here we are. This is a very small work, only five families, but God is
working among us and helping us.
Now for my real reason for writing. I've been feeling impressed, ever since I got here, that you ought to come and help us for a while. Maybe hold us a revival. I know this will come as a shock to you and probably will give you cold feet, but with much prayer and fasting, God would help. Brother Donnie, don't take this letter lightly. I feel so strongly that I have the mind of God. I know you're working, but perhaps you can get a short leave of absence. You can stay at the parsonage, and we can feed you. Perhaps, the church can pay you a little. I know this isn't a very enticing offer, but you can trust God to supply. He never has failed us in all the years we've served Him. We're getting just a small salary here, about a third of what we got at Casper Loop, but we're not starving. God is taking care of us.
Brother Don, do lots of praying about this. Don't turn me down. I feel so strongly this is of God. I'm praying for God to show you His will in this matter. I have confidence in you. Not many young men would give up everything, as you have, to follow Jesus. I admire you and I know God has a plan for your life. It may look dark now, but I'm sure there's a rainbow in the clouds somewhere.
Brother Donnie, you say that you feel God wants you to preach. Well, you have to start somewhere. Why not here? I'll be expecting you to answer in the affirmative.
Before I close, I want to tell you that dear Mrs. Fontenot passed away. I believe she made it to heaven. I preached her funeral and God really gave me freedom to preach to the sinners. How her two grandsons wept! It nearly broke my heart. They have been closing their business on Sundays and attending church. Keep praying for them.
Anxiously awaiting to hear from you, I remain,
Your brother in Christ,
Jim Chaney
Handing the letter to his mom, Donnie asked, "What do you think of this?"
She read it and slowly handed it back to him.
"What do you think?" Donnie repeated his question. "I hardly know what to think. Why haven't you told me you felt God wanted you to preach?"
"I had reasons, Mom."
"Son, if God has called you to preach, He'll make a way. Maybe this is God's open door for you."
"But there's my job. What will we do for money to pay bills?"
"I can go back to work, if necessary. I think my old legs will take it now. I still have a little of the insurance money I was paid because of the accident. God will make a way. Don't worry about the financial end of it. Just mind God."
"But Connie is coming."
"Donnie, you won't be gone forever. Why not do as Brother Chaney suggested and see if you can get a short leave of absence?"
"I'll pray about it, Mom, and you help me pray. I've never preached a sermon in my life. How can I hold a revival?"
"If God has opened this door for you, He will help you preach, son."
Two days before Donnie was to leave for Jennings, Connie called. She was back in the States and ould be home in a few days.
"What's wrong with you, Connie?" Mrs. Slocum asked anxiously.
"I have hepatitis, Mom. I'm over the contagious part, but the doctor told me it would be several months before I regain my strength. I didn't want to be a burden on the field, so we took an early furlough. I'll stay with you and recuperate while Larry is out in deputation work." Her voice broke. "Oh, Mom;" she sobbed, "I can't tell you how anxious I am to see you and my saved and sanctified twin brother."
"Your saved and sanctified twin brother feels called to preach and is leaving tomorrow to hold a revival."
"Oh, Mom!" Connie could hardly talk for crying. "That's amazing! I feel chills running down my spine. Praise God forever! It's worth everything to serve Jesus. How long will he be gone?"
"About two weeks. He took his vacation time so he could hold his job. He says he feels definitely clear God wants him to go, though he's scared out of his wits about preaching. "
"Well, praise God! I must hang up, Mom. See you real, real soon."
"Take care, Connie. I can't wait to see you."
It was a twelve-hour drive to Jennings from Terryville. Donnie left early on Saturday morning so he could be there for Sunday. The revival would not start until the following Sunday, but he wanted to have plenty of time to fast and pray and study. Brother Chaney had also suggested he do some calling with him.
Donnie marveled, as he drove along, at the mystery of it all. He couldn't understand why God would open a door for someone as inexperienced as he, and yet he had felt perfectly clear this was God's will, as had Brother Chaney. Even though he felt nervous and backward, yet he sensed God's divine presence leading him on. He prayed that God would bless his ministry and help someone to yield to God while he was there. Just one soul would be worth the trip.
It was 9:00 p.m. when he arrived in Jennings. He stopped at a phone booth and dialed Brother Chaney's number to get directions to the parsonage. In a few minutes he pulled into the driveway. The door flew open and Brother Chaney came running out and gave Donnie a bear hug.
"So glad to see you, Brother Donnie. So very glad to see you. This is the Lord's doings and it is marvelous in my eyes."
With light hearts, they unloaded Donnie's luggage and went in.
"Honey, this is Brother Donnie Slocum. Brother Donnie, meet my wife, Gaile."
"Glad to meet you, Sister Chaney," Donnie extended his hand to shake hands.
"Same to you, Brother Donnie. I have heard an awful lot about you. Why, you're even younger looking than I had you pictured! Sit down and make yourself right at home."
"This is Ruth and Jacob," Brother Chaney introduced his three-year-old daughter and five-year-old son.
"I see, right now, I'm going to have an enjoyable visit," Donnie commented. "Come see me, Ruth. I like little boys and girls."
Ruth went to her father and peered over at Donnie, but Jacob came over and climbed on Donnie's knee.
"Good boy, Jacob," Donnie commended him. "I expect we're going to be the best of buddies before I leave."
Ruth, seeing Jacob's boldness, walked slowly over and stood by Donnie's other knee. He put his arm about her. He felt no strangeness at being in the Chaney home.
"Are you going to preach for me tomorrow?" Brother Chaney asked.
"Oh, no! We had that clearly settled when I talked to you on the phone. I'll preach next Sunday, Lord willing. I feel you're in for a great let-down. I've never preached in my life."
"You've got to start somewhere, Brother Donnie, and this is a good place. If we had a big crowd, like at Casper Loop, you might have a right to be scared to death, but with about twenty people in the audience, you should do fine."
After a delicious meal of stew meat, with potatoes, carrots and English peas, and apple pie for dessert, Donnie visited awhile with his host and hostess. But being very weary from his long trip, he was glad when Brother Chaney suggested that it was bedtime.
After devotions, he was shown to a tiny room, meagerly furnished with a single bed, a small dresser with a mirror, and a small clothes closet. He unpacked his suitcase and prepared for bed. He crawled between the sheets and, in no time at all, was fast asleep.
There were twenty-four in attendance at Sunday school the next morning: five small children, including Ruth and Jacob; four juniors; three teen-agers; and the remainder, grown-ups.
When Sunday school was over, the little ones returned to the auditorium and sat on the front bench. Two ladies sat, one on each end, closing them in. Donnie was asked to lead the singing, so he sat on the platform. His attention was drawn to the cute little girl with curly, dark-brown hair who was proving a handful for the ladies. She would slide off the bench and start to run around the church, but one of the women would grab her and put her back on the bench. She would hit at them and cry aloud. Donnie wondered how anyone would be able to enjoy the service, with all the distraction.
Once the song service started, she sat still and tried to sing along with the others. Donnie looked down at her and smiled. She s
miled back. There was something about that smile that haunted him. A cold chill chased down his spine. He almost forgot the next lines. Where had he seen that smile before? He could hardly keep his eyes off the child. She was shabbily dressed, but clean. Who could she be? He smiled at her again, but this time she stuck out her tongue at him.
The ornery little thing! he thought. Probably she's a spoiled brat.
After the service, Donnie made it his business to speak to the little dark-haired doll. He caught her hand in his and asked, "What's your name, cutie?"
She jerked her hand away and answered, "I ain't tellin."
"Oh, come on, honey, tell Brother Slocum your name," one of the ladies prompted. “Tell him your name is Christy.”
Christy! Christy ... Donnie pulled his thoughts back to the present. "That's a beautiful name," he assured her in an unsteady voice. He wanted to say, "I have a little girl named Christy," but thought better of it.
The little girl smiled up into Donnie's face and said, "Christy Slocum. My name is Christy Slocum."
Donnie gasped. He stood for several seconds in shocked silence. He felt light-headed, almost dizzy.
"Christy Slocum," he repeated her name slowly. "Can it be? I mean - is it really? Is your name really Christy Slocum?"
"Uh-huh," she said, nodding her dark curls vigorously.
Donnie looked at the roguish little face. That smile no wonder it affected him so! Squatting down beside her, he put his arm around her tiny waist and asked. "What's your mom's name?"
"Mommy," she giggled. "Mommy Sharon."
Breathlessly, he asked one more question. "What's your daddy's name?"
"My daddy's dead." She giggled again, as if playing a game. "My dolly's name is Jane, my cat's name is Fluff."
Donnie yearned with all his being to gather the little ornery child in his arms and smother her with tears and kisses, but he knew he must restrain himself. He kissed her lightly on the cheek.
"Are you coming back tonight?" He felt he couldn't let her out of his sight.
"No," the lady answered for her. "Her mother picks her up at 3:15. I'm Mrs. Rice, her baby sitter."
"Where do they live?" Donnie tried to appear nonchalant. "Maybe we can get her mother to come to the revival ... and her daddy." He held his breath in suspense. Would there be a "daddy" in Christy's home?
"Christy's daddy is dead," Mrs. Rice said. "She lives with her mother at 211 First Street. I wish you success in getting her to come to church. I've tried over and over, but I've never been able to get her to come."
"When is she off work?"
"Thursdays and Fridays, but she's off early every evening. She works at Judy's Cafe. She really needs God. Pray for her, Reverend Slocum. Isn't it strange that her name is Slocum, too? Sharon Slocum."
Donnie shook hands with the people near him and then walked slowly back to the parsonage. He dropped onto a chair and sat as one in a daze. At last, he had found his little Christy and Sharon, but where did he go from here? It had been over two years since he had seen Sharon. Would she be a total stranger to him? Had she married again and her husband died? Or had she told Christy that he, Donnie, was dead?
Donnie was still trying to sort out his thoughts when the Chaneys came in.
"Don't set a plate for me, Sister Chaney," he told his hostess. "I'm not hungry."
"Are you sick, Brother Donnie?" she asked him. "You're as pale as a ghost."
Brother Chaney, too, was concerned. "May I get you some water or something?" he asked.
"I'll be all right, Brother Chaney. It's just that--Well, I just got the shock of my life."
"How's that?"
"You know the little girl who sat on the front pew--Christy?"
Brother Chaney smiled. "Yes, she's quite a live-wire. What did she do to upset you like this? Please don't pay any attention to her, Brother Donnie. She's from an unsaved home. Sister Rice says her mother smokes and drinks, so what can you expect from the precious little darling?"
Donnie looked at Brother Chaney. "Christy is my daughter. Her mother was once my wife."
Brother Chaney's mouth dropped open in shock. “You're kidding me!"
"No, I'm as sure of what I'm telling you as I am that my name is Donnie Slocum."
"Well, come to think of it, Christy's name is Slocum, but I never once thought of connecting her with you."
Suddenly Brother Chaney's face broke into a broad smile. "Praise the Lord, Brother Donnie! Didn't you tell me that you and your mom had banded together in prayer that God would help you find your wife and child? Can't you see now why God had you to come here? And why He had me to come here? It's all fitting together like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. Praise God, Brother! This is the answer to all those prayers we've been praying for your home to be restored. This is a miracle of miracles!" He was so elated he could not comprehend Donnie's despondency.
"But, Brother Chaney, even though I've found her, and even if she'd take me back, what kind of wife would I have if she smokes and drinks? I couldn't be a minister of the gospel with a wife like that."
"Didn't you smoke and drink, Brother Donnie? God transformed your life, didn't He? He can transform Sharon too. We'll pray and fast until God moves. Call your mom and tell her the news, and ask her to join us in prayer. God has brought you this far in answer to prayer, and we're going to believe Him for complete victory. Praise God! I feel something tumbling over in my soul!"
But Donnie still wasn't convinced. "What if there's another husband to cope with? Sharon had a boy friend when I last saw her. She may just be telling Christy and others that her husband is dead."
"Brother Donnie, her name is Slocum. That should tell you something. Let's start praying and believing God."
With new hope, Donnie stood to his feet and picked up the phone to call his mom.