Precious Memories
Lynn Stannard
Copyright © 2012 Lynn Stannard
I have tried to recreate events, locales and conversations from my memories of them. In order to maintain their anonymity in some instances I have changed the names of individuals and places, I may have changed some identifying characteristics and details such as physical properties, occupations and places of residence.
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior consent of the publisher.
Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holman Christian Standard Bible® Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Holman CSB®, and HCSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers.
The Publisher makes no representations or warranties with respect to the accuracy or completeness of the contents of this book and specifically disclaim any implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. Neither the publisher nor author shall be liable for any loss of profit or any commercial damages.
2012-12-01
Dedication
How do I say thank you to such a dear friend? A long-time intercessor, Marilyn has been faithful in prayer support for me for most of my life. She remembers being part of a group of women who were praying in the kitchen for me, while I was in the living room learning some of the basics about being a real Christian.
Marilyn has had several physical handicaps for most of her life. In spite of using many medications, some braces, and eventually a wheelchair, I don’t recall ever hearing her complain about them. For the last several years, she has lived in a senior medical facility.
When I visited her a few years ago, we were closing our time together with a prayer. After the “Amen”, she looked directly at me and said, “I think you’re going to write a book!”
I leaned back and laughed, “No way!” I hadn’t written much of anything. I couldn’t begin to imagine what I could possibly write about but we prayed again for the Lord’s will to be done.
Over the next several months, some ideas began to come to my mind about “coincidences” and amazing answers to prayer that had occurred in my life. I also recalled some heartwarming remembrances of lessons learned and tender experiences in the lives of some of my family, friends, and neighbors. Recently, I started writing them down, beginning with the story, “Lunch with Connie.”
Because of her prayers and encouragement to do something that never would have occurred to me, I am dedicating this book of stories to my dear friend Marilyn Weeks.
Acknowledgements
I thank the Lord God for bringing these stories back to my mind. May they bring glory to Him and blessing to the readers
I would like to thank my husband Dick for his steady encouragement for me to write this book. I appreciate his careful editing and step by step guidance in arranging for it to be published. His computer skills and research have been essential, and his prayers have strengthened and assured me that I’m on the right track.
I thank our daughters, Ginger, Jeannine, Beth, and Jennifer, for their positive feedback when we enjoyed reading these stories together over a couple of evenings
A special thanks to my granddaughter and her husband, Sabina and Steve Ronald, for giving permission to use my pen and ink drawing of my beautiful great-children Levi and Laina on the cover.
Introduction
Dear Reader,
In this book, “Precious Memories”, you will find some of my favorite stories about some of my favorite people – my family and friends. A few of the stories are rather new, while others have been around for generations. Word for word, as they appear here, many of these tales could have been written by my husband or our daughters. They have given their approval for these stories to be told to the world in this little book. The tales are as true as a 70 plus year old memory can recall.
For maximum pleasure, I recommend that you pour yourself a cup of tea or coffee, and take a few moments to savor each story before you go on to the next one.
So now I welcome you to enjoy these Precious Memories. I hope they bring you a chuckle, a tear, or a warm blessing, as they are presented with love and many prayers for you.
Sincerely,
Lynn Stannard
Lunch With Connie
Imagine pink and lavender rose print tablecloths covered over with intricate lace. Just about any woman would be drawn to this charming feminine tearoom. Appealing tasty lunches would be served on delicate china plates. Girlfriends would feel invited to a delightful, refreshing experience. This was the picture in my mind as these words just popped into my thoughts: “Call Connie, and invite her to lunch.”
It was a sunny Wednesday morning in Florida. My neighbor Connie’s husband had died several months before, and I wanted to encourage her. I didn’t know her very well, but we had been together a few times.
So I called Connie on the telephone. When I invited her out to lunch at the tearoom, she was quite pleased. “How about this Friday?” she asked. It worked for me. When she said she’d like to invite a couple more women, I agreed.
Connie called the women she had in mind and let me know that only one of the two was able to come. I thought of another neighbor in our senior community, who also had recently lost her husband. When I invited her, she said she would love to join us. I let Connie know, and she was pleased.
Friday arrived, and I headed out in my car to pick up the three women at their homes. On this warm and sunny day, we traveled about a half hour drive to our destination. When we arrived, we were seated at a table just like the one I had pictured two days before. Our conversation was friendly and warm. Our nicely presented lunches were delicious. As we finished, each one paid for her own lunch, generously tipping our waitress.
We stepped out the door and headed to the nearby gift shop. Inside, we wandered through, giggled at some greeting cards and bought a couple. At the bakery next door, we chatted with the owner and sampled some tiny cookies. Of course we purchased some for later.
All too soon, we were on our way home. We felt comfortable with each other as our conversation just seemed to flow. I dropped off one at her house, and then, a few minutes later, the second.
Lastly, as I drove Connie to her house, she said to me, “I want to thank you for inviting me for this lunch. You see, my husband passed away a year ago today.” Then she looked at her watch and added, “In fact it was right about this time, and I didn’t want to spend it alone. This was just what I needed.”
Amazed, I answered, “Oh, Connie. I didn’t realize that!”
The impact of her words came slowly. When the idea of taking her to lunch first came to my mind, I had hesitated. But I reached out as a friend anyway. While I drove home, I could see the tenderness of God expressing His gentle healing and comforting love for Connie as she spent that difficult day with some girlfriends, having lunch in a pretty tearoom.
Robbie’s Shoes
At six years old, first graders usually have their ABC’s under their belts. They’re fairly comfortable reading some basic children’s books. Little by little they learn other skills as well. When our youngest daughter was in this grade, I volunteered to be a teacher’s aide in her classroom one day a week. I enjoyed the experience and found the children delightful as they learned how to be friends and to develop their abilities.
There was one child that I was especially drawn to. Robbie needed a little extra attention. It seemed