More Kansas Memories: Mr. & Mrs. Long

This lady, Lois Long, is special to me because she hosted a Bible club for kids in her home for a season. (I don't remember how long it lasted.) It was for boys and girls. Barb and I went faithfully each week, but Brenda doesn't remember having gone.(She probably had piano lessons or something going on at the same time or she would have been there.)

Mrs. Long is still the same joyful, enthusiastic, godly "older woman" (probably in her 80s). I snapped the shot of her on the sofa when she wasn't paying attention; I adored the heap of Bibles and study helps and papers that served as proof we'd caught her in the middle of doing something she loves to do every day. I asked her what she was studying and she replied, "Ezekiel and John. The ladies in my group just finished Revelation and Daniel--they like all that "exciting" stuff, you know, but they need more...uh--"

"Meat?" I said.

"Meat! Yes, that's it!" she chuckled. I told her I'm reading Ezekiel now also, and it's one of the hardest books for me to get through, let alone really understand, except that God shows in the first 30-some chapters that He is the Lord because of His judgment, and I'm just now getting to the part where He is promising to be the shepherd of Israel and they will know Him by his merciful leading.

In the back of my mind, I was hoping that Mrs. Long and her husband, Paul (an avid birdwatcher and writer) would pray a blessing at the end of our all-too-brief meeting. He did. It really touched me to witness the steadfastness of this God-fearing couple after all these decades. With tears in my eyes, I hugged Mrs. Long tightly and thanked her for being a wonderful influence in my young life. I wanted her to know that her love and teaching (and lemonade) were a significant part of my spiritual growth.