"Who being THE BRIGHTNESS OF HIS GLORY, and
the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the
word of His power, when He by Himself purged our sins, sat down
on the right hand of the Majesty on high." -- Hebrews 1:3
TO GOD BE THE GLORY! I wish to dedicate this book
in loving memory of my parents Elgie and Ruth (Smith) Moore who
brought me up in the fear and admonition of the Lord, who taught
me how to pray, trust God, believe His Word, and live a Holy life.
Without their Godly example and encouragement this
book could never have been written.
I wish to express my deep appreciation to my husband,
Rev. Howard E. Wright, and many friends and loved ones who have
been so helpful and encouraged me in my efforts to write this
book. A special thank you to Charlotte E. Pitts for proof reading
my manuscript. Also, a special thank you to Dr. Norman W. Bloom
for writing the introduction.
Mrs. Arlene R. Wright was ordained in the same service
with her husband in 1971 in Minnesota. Together they have served
the Lord and the church faithfully, lovingly and sacrificially.
Her ministry has varied, supportive and always Scripturally
sound. In small towns, on the Indian reservation, in the hospital,
in the store and in the church she has been an inspiration, a
soul winner, a friend, a prayer warrior, a woman of deep Christian
faith. Now, through the printed page, each of us can learn about
courage, answered prayer, trust, patience, healing, giving and
other necessary facets to better walk before our Lord. Pathos
and humor, love and hurt, hanging on and moving forward, service
and being served, illness and health, sorrows and victories, marriage
and family, daily living and almost dying, hospitals and city
parks so many human emotions are covered in this book. Her motive
is to lift up Christ who was and is her sufficiency. Read the
pages, live the family experiences, and learn to trust and be
victorious with the writer. The faith she portrays is worthy of
our prayerful practice.
The Table of Contents
DEDICATION ...........…………………………………............................ 1
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ..........…………………………..................... 1
INTRODUCTION ..................................... 2
THE TABLE OF CONTENTS ...........…………………………............... 2
THE BRIGHTNESS OF HIS GLORY ...................... 4
PREFACE ..............................……………………..………………........... 6
WINDOW (1) GOD'S PLAN ............................ 6
GOD'S PLAN .......................…………………………………….............. 8
WINDOW (2) MY MASTER ............................. 9
MY MASTER ......................……………………………………….......... 10
WINDOW (3) THE SCAR .............................. 12
STUMBLING BLOCK OR STEPPING STONE ...……………….......... 14
THE SCAR ......................................... 15
WINDOW (4) A LUMP OF CLAY ............………………………......... 17
A LUMP OF CLAY ................................... 19
WINDOW (5) I LOVE TO TALK TO YOU, DEAR LORD………....... 21
I LOVE TO TALK TO YOU, DEAR LORD ................. 23
WINDOW (6) JUST TO KNOW ...........………………………............. 24
JUST TO KNOW ..................................... 25
WINDOW (7) WHAT IS SUCCESS? .……………………................... 27
WHAT IS SUCCESS? ................................. 28
WINDOWS (8) UNTIL HEAVEN ...................………………………... 29
UNTIL HEAVEN ..................................... 30
WINDOW (9) WE ARE CHILDREN OF THE KING ........…………... 31
WE ARE CHILDREN OF THE KING ...................... 33
WINDOW (10) HE'S ABLE ...................…………………..………....... 35
HE'S ABLE ........................................ 37
WINDOW (11) THE GREATEST THRILL .......………….……........... 38
THE GREATEST THRILL .............................. 40
WINDOW (12) ME A MISSIONARY, LORD? ....……………............ 41
ME A MISSIONARY, LORD? ........................... 45
WINDOW (13) SECURITY ...........…………………………......…........ 47
SECURITY ......................................... 48
WINDOW (14) WHY? .......……………………………............…......... 50
WHY? ............................................. 51
WINDOW (15) OUR GOD KNOWS! .........………………….….......... 52
OUR GOD KNOWS! ................................... 53
WINDOW (16) YESTERDAY, TODAY AND TOMORROW …....... 55
YESTERDAY, TODAY AND TOMORROW .................... 56
EPILOG .......……………………………………...........................…....... 57
GOD ONLY TAKES THE BEST .......................... 60
ARLENE WENT INTO "THE BRIGHTNESS OF HIS GLORY"
ON NOVEMBER 28, 1995 AT ABOUT 7:45 P.M. IN THE FOLLOWING PAGES
YOU WILL SEE WINDOWS SHE HAS OPENED TO US TO SHOW US HOW SHE FELT
"THE BRIGHTNESS OF HIS GLORY" THROUGH SOME VERY TRYING
TIMES IN LIFE HERE ON THIS EARTH. I HAVE ALSO ADDED AN EPILOG.
THE REST OF THIS BOOK IS HER OWN WORDS. WHAT GOD DID FOR HER CAN
BE YOUR EXPERIENCE AS "MY LITTLE ANGEL IN HEAVEN" IS
NOW LIVING IN "THE BRIGHTNESS OF HIS GLORY". -- REV.HOWARD
E.WRIGHT
THE BRIGHTNESS OF HIS GLORY
In midnight's darkest hour,
When our body is filled with pain,
Let's see the Brightness of His Glory,
For He suffered for our gain.
When our temperature is raging,
And for water we would cry,
Let's think how Jesus cried "I Thirst,"
And gave Himself to die.
'Tis the saddest of all pictures
His dying on that tree,
But it was the Brightness of His Glory--
He paid the price for you and me.
His purpose was to redeem the world,
That's why He came to die.
He poured His blood upon the cross,
To save and sanctify.
Then Satan said so proudly,
Well, that's the end of Salvation' plan!"
But, no, just the fulfillment,
He died to redeem each man.
In the Brightness of His Glory,
He arose from death's cold sway
To live and reign forever,
A great TRIUMPANT day.
And so because He suffered
Heartaches and troubles sore,
He knows just how you're feeling.
He has plenty of grace in store.
When cares and trials come our way,
To the Master we must go.
You can feel His very presence,
His peace will fill you so.
It has been the Brightness of His Glory,
That has thrilled my heart so much.
It's just filled me through and through,
It's so sweet to feel His touch.
There's a wonderful day ahead,
For you and me, my friend,
When this our earthly race is run,
And we've endured until the end.
It's there we'll really see Him,
Our Savior, Master, Guide.
He's walked the path before us,
And He's always at our side.
It's now through a glass darkly,
But then we'll really see,
The Brightness of His Glory,
Through all eternity.
We'll see the mansions He's prepared--
Our robes of purest white.
But all we'll do is praise Him,
Who has kept us with His might.
We must never cease to tell it,
God's sweet and loving story,
How Jesus bled and died for all,
In the BRIGHTNESS OF HIS GLORY.
In the summer of 1971, I faced a surgery in the which
I was to have a tumor removed from my pituitary gland. It was
pressing on my optic nerves, and causing me to lose some of my
sight. At that time my husband, Rev. Howard E. Wright from Brazil,
Indiana, was pastoring the Church of the Nazarene in Olivia, Minnesota.
This was about 100 miles from Minneapolis where I had the surgery.
As I read my Bible during those days, just before
my surgery, I read the words "THE BRIGHTNESS OF HIS GLORY"
from Hebrews 1:3. These words stayed with me and although my thinking
was not too clear at the time, they burned their way into my soul.
Later I could not remember where I heard them or read them. During
those days, before and after my surgery, I fully realized the
marvelous BRIGHTNESS OF HIS GLORY. We had walked through the valley
of the shadow of death together, but all I saw was His Glory.
As I felt His presence He reassured me I would live through the
surgery and continue to serve Him. It has now been over 20 years,
and I am still seeing His glorious GLORY as we are walking together.
At the present time my husband is the pastor of the
Yates Center church of the Nazarene in Yates Center, Kansas where
I am the associate pastor. God has honored me by allowing me to
be an ordained elder in the Church Of The Nazarene. It is a great
thrill to stand behind the pulpit and preach God's Holy Word.
My earnest prayer is that God will take this humble work, and
make it a blessing to your heart. Through these pages may you
see THE BRIGHTNESS OF HIS GLORY.
My parents, Elgie and Ruth Moore, were very busy
with the family wash on a special day in July, the 4th. God had
already blessed their home with two sons. Glen, age 6 and Dick,
who was 4. It was common knowledge that any day the Moore were
going to have another little Moore. Well, this did turn out to
be a special day for that looked for baby decided it would be
a good day to declare its independence.
My excited Dad made his way to a neighbor's home
to call the doctor. However, he was out celebrating the big day
and could not be reached. Abbotsford, Wisconsin, where my folks
lived, wasn't a very big town, but they did have another doctor
whom Dad called. When he had examined my mother he realized it
was going to be a very difficult breach birth. Thankfully, he
had seen Mom's doctor coming in to town as he was coming to our
home, so Mom's doctor was called along with a nurse. There were
many times it looked like neither mother nor baby would make it.
But you see God had some special plans and mother and baby both
lived.
My parents named me Arlene Ruth--Ruth being my mother's
first name. My brothers weren't sure how they would like a little
sister, but they accepted me very well. My weigh at birth was
9 pounds, and by the time I was 2 years old I was rather pudgy.
But I was loved and was part of a very happy family. How would
you like to be named PUDGY for the rest of your life? Well, I
got used to it and it was my folks' pet name for me from then
on, even after I lost my pudginess.
The home into which I was born was a very rich home,
not in earthly goods, but in the things of God. Being taught how
to pray around an old fashioned family altar enabled me to get
through some very hard times. Much was accomplished as we knelt
together there. How I praise God for Godly parents who brought
us up for the Lord; where prayer and Bible reading were as regular
as our meals; where God was first and His guidance was sought
daily.
My childhood was plagued with pneumonia every winter
my first 6 years, once with double pneumonia. Another year I had
whooping cough, and once I was put into the hospital almost in
the stage of convulsions. Many times I was very close to death,
but God had plans for my life. Even in these early years I learned
the power of prayer as my Godly parents lovingly cared for me.
My Dad farmed the first seven years of my life, and
we moved around quite a bit in different parts of the state of
Wisconsin. While living near Pittsville, God sent us a little
sister, who was named Bernadine Doris. She was premature and only
weighed four pounds and three ounces.
The same year my brother Dick became ill and complained
of a pain in his leg. Dad called the Doctor who told him Dick
had flu and rheumatism, and advised them to put Epsom salt packs
on his leg. This only made him worse and on Christmas day Dad
called a doctor from Marshfield to come and see him. We were told
that he had Osteomyelitis, which is infection of the marrow of
the bone. Dick had surgery the following day. In order to be close
to Dick we moved into Marshfield. This was the first of sixteen
surgeries he had in his life time.
In the spring of 1936, I developed an earache. The
doctor gave Mom drops to put in my ear. One day as she did this
I screamed, because of the pain. That afternoon they took me to
the doctor and he told them I needed a mastoid operation the following
morning. After putting me in the hospital they went home to pray.
Dick was still very ill with his leg, and there seemed to be no
end to trouble.
They knelt by the daybed and asked God to give them
something to comfort their hearts. The Bible opened to John 14,
"Let not your heart be troubled ye believe in God, believe
also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were
not so I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and
receive you unto myself; that where I am ye may be also."
This was a great comfort to them and they were assured that God
would be in control throughout the surgery. He was and I came
through fine.
Again God had His hand on my life, and I began to
see the Brightness of His Glory.
It was while we lived in Marshfield that Dick came
home from the University of Wisconsin Hospital with a cast from
his waist to his toes on his bad leg and to his hip on the other.
He had to grow a new bone from his hip to his knee on his affected
leg. One of our cousins put his name on a radio station in Madison
in hopes some people would write him. I will never forget the
bags of letters, cards, and packages that came. It was a hot summer
and his foot inside the cast would itch. Mom used wire carefully
wrapped with cotton to run between the cast and his foot. This
did help some. It didn't matter what pain he was going through,
he never complained. God was always at his side to comfort and
strengthen him.
In 1937, while our family attended a funeral of one of our cousins in Mason City, Iowa, Dad found employment in a cement plant. These were depression days and work was hard to get. Dad found a small apartment in a house in northern Mason City, and we moved to Iowa. Dick was in the hospital most of that year and Glen stayed the first year with our Aunt Came, Mom's sister. It was not an easy move for any of us, but I am sure it was in God's will. This proved to be part of God's plan for our lives. We can always trust in God's judgment for He doesn't make mistakes. We can never improve on His plans for our life.
GOD'S PLAN
Men have said within their hearts,
There is no God for me. But God has from the very start, Had a plan for me.by Arlene R. Wright
Our father had no religious training in his home.
His mother died when he was 6 years old and soon his father went
to California. When he was 11 years old he had to go to work as
a farm hand. He used to tell us how he would stay in the upstairs
of the farm house and sometimes the siding of the house wasn't
very good and snow would blow in between the boards. Of course,
he was homesick and missed his family very much. Because he had
to work in the fields late in the fall and early in the spring;
his education was limited.
When Mom and Dad met, Dad used Jesus name in vain
very often. But after he found the Lord he never ever used God's
name in vain again, only glorified and praised Him. He had a sister,
Sadie, who was a beautiful Christian, and she had quite an influence
on his life. She got to know Mom's parents and took Dad with her
to meet them.
Mom was from a Christian home and her parents were
members of the Free Methodist church. She was the niece of Rev.
David S. Reed, who was the District Superintendent of the San
Francisco District in the Church of the Nazarene. At that time
it included two thirds of California and all of the state of Nevada.
He was also a good friend of H. Orton Wiley. Mom wasn't a Christian
during her teen years and has told us how afraid she would be
to stay home while the rest of the family went to prayer meeting.
She was so afraid that some Gypsies would come or a bum. Grandpa
would have visiting evangelists come to their home for meals and
when they would ask Mom about her soul, she resented it.
She knew she wasn't living a Christian life and would
be under conviction.
Mom and Dad's wedding took place in Mineral Point,
Wisconsin on September 22, 1920. Grandpa and Grandma Smith were
very concerned about Mom and Dad's spiritual state. After they
had been married for a year or so, my grandparents invited them
to some revival services that were being held in their church.
They went one night and the next day had quite a talk. They decided
that they wanted to get saved and bring up their family for the
Lord.
When the altar call was made that night my folks
went to the altar. The Lord told Mom He wanted her to go back
and ask her parents to forgive her. Of course, they forgave her
and thus begin a new life. Many times I have heard them testify
of how glad they were they made that choice. God gave them five
children and the three oldest are ordained ministers. All of us
are Christians today, and I'll praise God through out eternity
for such Godly parents.
When I was 8 years old I realized I needed Christ
as my personal Savior, and gave my heart to Him. Sorry to say
I didn't live a consistent Christian life, but came many times
to ask forgiveness again. God was always there and forgave me
and now He truly is my Master. He doesn't tire of my coming to
Him, whatever my need. It wasn't until I was twenty years old
that I found His sanctifying power. During my teen years we attended
a church that believed in holiness, but I never understood what
it could do for me.
After hearing a sermon that explained it as an experience I needed, I went to the altar and died to self and was filled with His sweet Holy Spirit. This has given me an inner brace that established me spiritually. My parents know I was trying to live a Christian life, and didn't know of my deep spiritual need. God did and He has satisfied every longing of my heart.
MY MASTER
As Jesus walked upon the earth,
He met a woman one day. Seven devils claimed her soul, And held her in their sway.by Arlene R. Wright
My first year in the Iowa schools was the 3rd grade.
School was much harder in Iowa than Wisconsin. After
I had the mastoid operation, Mom and Dad decided that I wasn't
well enough to go to school anymore that year. So the next year
I was in second grade again. In Iowa, I was having trouble with
my school work. One day I met the principal, Mrs. Kober, coming
out of our apartment, and found out I would have to go back into
the second grade for the third year in a row. This is all the
trouble I had in school. In 1948, I graduated from high school.
While in grade school I had a lot of stomach trouble
and raging temperatures. For days at a time I couldn't keep anything
on my stomach. Mother always came when I called her, whether it
was day or night. The first thing I would hear my father ask when
he came in the back door was, "How is Arlene?" Finally,
I would get over it and go back to school again.
The second fall we were in Iowa Dad was able to rent
a house and the family was all together again. Dick had a tutor
who came to the house and taught him 7th grade. His strong determination
was an example to all who knew him. With God's help, nothing was
going to stop him from being all he could be. As I reached the
age of puberty, my mother explained to me the changes that would
take place in my body. As the months went by I noticed the changes
in my girlfriends, but nothing happened to me. One day I realized
that I WAS A FREAK "OH, MY GOD, WHY ME? Couldn't it have
been someone else. OH, MY GOD, WHY ME?" was the cry of my
heart at that time. No one, but God, could ever understand the
humiliation, the frustration, the hearts break I went through.
My parents took me to different doctors, but they couldn't find
anything wrong with me. When I went to the University of Iowa
Hospital they couldn't do anything either. One doctor gave me
shots, but they did nothing. Being very short I looked like an
eight year old child. Children would stop me on the street and
ask me how old I was. Because I was a Christian, I didn't want
to lie, so I would tell them and they would have a good laugh.
My family encouraged me and never let me know if they felt embarrassed
because of my condition. God was good to me to give me such a
loving and understanding family. They are all so precious to me.
Dick skipped 8th grade and started back to school
in the 9th. He'd wrap his sack lunch around one crutch handle
and put his books under his other arm and go off to school over
the ice and snow. He graduated from high school on the honor roll.
His courage and strength did a lot to help me meet my problem.
When we didn't have a car, Glen and Dick would walk two miles
one way to prayer meeting. Yes, Dick on his crutches! He couldn't
walk without them. They really set the pace for me, and I had
a lot to live up to.
Through it all God was so faithful to me. He made
life worth living. In my humiliation, He lifted me up. When my
heart was broken, He dried my tears. He walked by my side through
every day. He was my constant comforter and kept me through those
difficult days. He did not fail me and He will never fail you.
You may never be called to go through what I have, but whatever
your problem is, He is there to help you, if you will let Him.
One of our big problems is, we want to understand everything.
We want to add two and two and get four. In God's kingdom, that
is not always possible. Some things we will never understand until
Jesus explains it to us in heaven.
Solomon wrote in Proverbs 3:5, "Trust in the
Lord with all shine heart; and lean not unto shine own understanding."
My brother Dick would get abscesses on his leg and Mom would put
hot packs on the affected area. She could not wring them out as
hot as he could take it. So she took toweling and sewed hems in
it and ran sticks through them, dipped this under the packs and
twisted the sticks to get the hot water out. One day she told
him she didn't understand why he had to suffer so. His answer
was, "Well, Mom, I may have not been a good boy if this hadn't
happened." We must learn to turn over to God everything that
comes into our lives, and let Him work through us, that we might
glorify Him.
The most beautiful rainbow I ever saw, was in North Dakota, but the sky was blacker than I any sky I think I'd ever seen. It is in these dark, and wearisome days, we can see the Brightness of His Glory. It is then He takes us into His loving arms and shows us how much He loves us. Many times we pray and ask God to use us for His glory, but then when we end up at the hospital, or something else serious happens to us, we wonder why. If we have surrendered our all to Him, we must just relax and realize, that anything God calls us to go through, He has confidence in us that we can make it with His grace and power. He gave us this promise in 1 Corinthians 10:13; "There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way of escape, that ye may be able to bear it" God's grace is sufficient for our every need. It is when we start relying on our own strength that we fall on our faces. Paul found the answer when he said in Philippians 4:13, "I can do all things through Christ who strengtheneth me." There have been times in my life, as I faced the fact I was a freak, (note: At this point in Arlene's life she felt she was a freak because of the fact she did not develop like other girls) that only His strength enabled me to go on. Everything in life can become a stumbling block or a stepping stone. God can enable us to grow and to know Him better as we rely on Him. If we are not careful we can fall over our problems rather than making them stepping stones. Here is a poem God gave me about this.
STUMBLING BLOCK OR STEPPING STONE
Is this a stumbling block or a stepping stone?
Only you can decide. You don't need to stumble or fall, With Jesus at your side.by Arlene R Wright
One of the things in my father's life that Satan
would have loved to trip him up with, was the fact he didn't have
much education. Shortly after Dad was saved and sanctified, God
called him to preach. By this time he had a family to care for
with no way opening for him to enter the full time ministry. He
preached whenever he had a chance--always preaching under God's
anointing. In the churches my husband and I have pastored, my
Dad held four revivals for us and God truly used him.
When we stop and remember what our Lord went through,
how can we complain? Yes, I have suffered, and perhaps you have
suffered too, but have you stopped to think that He went through
something that we will never have to go through? He was alone
on that cross, because of our sin. God the Father could not look
at Him, because of my sin. You and I will never have to be without
His presence and power, as long as we keep our heart right with
Him. We don't know suffering like He knew it
In 1975, my husband was a student at the University of Minnesota and I worked at the redemption center for General Mills. This was in downtown Minneapolis. It was where they redeemed the coupons that are on the General Mills products. At this particular time, I was a typist and also worked in their lunch room. It was the beginning of summer session at the University. When I came home from work on this particular day, Howard had gotten his new books for the term. One of the books had some objectionable material in it. Rather than encouraging him to wait until he got into the class, and see what it was like, I suggested we go back into the pastorate. So we made an appointment with our District Superintendent, Dr. Norman Bloom. He encouraged us to go ahead with the college work, since we had been so sure that was what God wanted us to do when we came there the previous fall. When Howard got into that class, they didn't even cover the material in the text book. Later I realized how much I had failed my Lord and my husband. A few days later as I was cleaning one of the dining hall tables, I was singing a song about walking with God's hand in mine. As I did, I heard God say, "If you're walking with My hand in yours, you'll feel My scar." After I went home I wrote this poem, and I hope I will never forget the lesson I learned that day. The scar I might wear because of my physical problem, could never be compared to the scar He will wear through out the endless ages of eternity for me.
THE SCAR
It's wonderful to walk with God,
Along the Christian way; To know He is my Master, And my Guide from day to day.by Arlene R Wright
In 1940, Glen, my oldest brother graduated from high
school and then worked a year to get money to go to college.
He was very young when he knew that God had called
him to preach. Mom has told about times when, as a boy, he would
get his cousins together and he would conduct a little service.
He and his wife, Alma, have now retired after 43 very productive
years in the ministry.
On January 14, 1942, God blessed our home with another
sister. Colleen Caron. Our parents had there A, B. C, girls, and
our names ended with an ene, ine, een.
Sometimes Mom would call all three of us before she
got the one she wanted.
Dick graduated from high school on the honor roll
in 1943. A piano teacher gave him about two years of free lessons
as a graduation gift. When he moved to Denver, Colorado to work,
he asked her if I could take the lessons in his place. She agreed.
I took the lessons, and appreciated it very much.
During my teen years, my parents began to attend
the Salvation Army where Dad was able to preach from time to time.
At that time I took their Corps Cadet class, and graduated from
the six year course. When I was 16 years old I felt God's hand
on me, calling me to preach. Being in charge of a group of young
people, I gained some of my preaching experience while working
with them. God made Himself so clear to me, that no one, anywhere,
could have persuaded me that He had not called me to preach. The
call is as clear today, as it was back then. It was a difficult
time for me as I mentioned before, for I wasn't sanctified.
Dad worked so hard to provide for his family. Many
times he would just get the coal bill paid, when it was time to
buy more coal. No one, anywhere, ever worked any harder than he
did for his family. When it came time for me to graduate in 1948,
there was no money to buy me a nice dress. Mother went to work
that spring in a laundry, which was very hard work. She bought
me a beautiful pink suit and made me a blouse and tatted the yoke
for it. As I walked across the stage that night to get my diploma,
you would have thought I was in the wrong place, and should have
perhaps been graduating from the 6th grade. God was with me through
it all.
That summer I heard they needed someone to work with
a lady at the isolation Hospital in Mason City. When I went to
see her she told me I would need to see my personal doctor for
an examination. Then I saw one I hadn't seen before, Dr.
George Tice. When he saw my condition, he became interested and
alarmed, and made arrangements for me to go to Mayo Clinic, in
Rochester, Minnesota. In November of that year, Mom went with
me to Mayo Clinic. She was with me for the first day and then
had to go home for she was working. Those doctors couldn't find
anything especially wrong with me and sent me home to take some
hormones.
This did start me to develop a little. The following
summer I went back to Mayo and they gave me different medicine,
which I couldn't have refilled.
In 1948, my parents began to attend the Church of
the Nazarene. They joined the church and later I began to attend.
The first sermon I can remember hearing on the sanctifying power,
or holiness, was in an afternoon indoor camp meeting. The evangelist
had taken his handkerchief, held it up by the comers and laid
it on the altar, calling it the unknown bundle. The unknown bundle
is all the things we don't know about at the present time. This
would include our entire future, the future of our loved ones
and His future leadings. He told how to get the experience, and
when the altar call was made, I think I was one of the first ones
to be at the altar. My life was changed that day.
In the fall of 1949, I heard that the Iowa District
had purchased a school at Tabor, Iowa. It was a high school and
a Bible school. So I enrolled as the only Bible school student
for the first semester. There were seven other students all in
high school. It closed at Christmas time in 1950. While at this
school I learned much and am thankful for the experience I had
there.
In 1952. I got a job at a department store in downtown
Mason City. At first I was a saleslady but was mainly hired to
become the elevator operator. The girl who had been doing it wasn't
dependable and soon I found myself operating the elevator. There
were no push buttons, but a round disk. If you pushed the handle
fastened to it one way it would go up, and the other way down.
You had to decide just where to stop it and make it level. There
were three floors and a basement. There was a gate on the inside
that wasn't hard to open or close, but the doors to the floors
were heavy, and I soon developed some muscles.
My main purpose in working was to get money so I
could go to college. Just when I would think I was about ready
to save for college, something else would happen, usually sickness
and a doctor bill. It didn't matter how hard I worked at it, it
just didn't seem possible I would ever earn enough to prepare
for the calling God had given me.
It was December 24, 1953. By this time Bernadine,
my sister just younger than me, whom we lovingly call Bernie,
had graduated from high school and had a job as a secretary in
a lawyer's of office. Mom was working at that time in one of the
hospitals. She had to be there very early and was up and gone
before we were out of bed. That morning, as I fixed Dad's breakfast
and packed his lunch, I had a terrible feeling in my throat. After
calling the store and telling them I was very sick and wouldn't
make it to work that day, I went to bed. After chilling and piling
on the blankets, I got a very high temperature. My sisters were
both home that day, but didn't realize how sick I was. When Mom
got home and saw me, she knew I was very sick. They took my temperature
and since it was always hard for mother to read, Bernie read it
for her. Bernie said, "It can't be that high." So they
took my temperature again and it read 105.6. Mom called the doctor
and by the time he got there Dad was home. He told them he thought
I had polio. So I was taken by ambulance to the hospital where
they gave me a spinal tap. The test was negative, but they didn't
know what was wrong with me. From Thursday night until Sunday
morning there was little change. Then I had a bad nose bleed and
my nose had to be packed. When my parents came to see me that
afternoon, I tried to smile at them. My smile went up the side
of my face, for I had St. Vitas' Dance, or Chorea, in connection
with rheumatic fever. It was then they knew that I had rheumatic
fever. It was a few days after that when my temperature broke.
The following Sunday I went home so weak I could hardly walk.
Dad half carried me into the house. For the next five months I
was in bed except to go to the bathroom.
After everyone was off for the day, I was alone until
noon, when Dad and Colleen would come and get dinner. We'd eat
and then they went back to work and school. Much of the time I
was home alone until Mom got home from work. God blessed her with
a wonderful sense of humor. She would always find something to
get me to laughing about which was often connected to her work.
One day, while everyone was gone, I had a serious
talk with my Lord asking Him why this happened to me. It wasn't
meant to put God down for letting it happen, but I wondered if
there was some special reason for it. He told me I would preach
to people and communicate with people who thought they would have
a chance to get right with Him at death. He reminded me of my
delirious state, and my inability to pray.
It seems so few ever get saved when they die these
days. Some times they are given medications to free them from
pain. They are so doped they can't pray. Others die in automobile
accidents where there is no time to pray.
God has used this experience and I want always to
be that lump of clay that God can use. To be used of God, I must
be sure my heart stays soft and pliable. It is my desire that
God remove all the things from my life that would hinder Him from
making me what He wants me to be. The most thrilling thing in
my life is the realization that God has used me in some way to
glorify Him.
The 4th verse of the 23rd Psalm says, "Thy rod and thy staff comfort me." It is a comfort to know the Shepherd has the rod to fight off the enemy, but I'm glad for the staff that can pull me back into line, if I should stray. We always need to be in condition for God to use us anyhow and anyway He chooses. As we are yielded completely to Him, we will see the Brightness of His Glory.
A LUMP OF CLAY
I was just a mess
Of dirty, miry, clay. My potter was the devil, Who shaped me day by day.
by Arlene R. Wright
In October of 1954, I went to help Dick and his wife
Ella with a church they were starting in Grant, Nebraska.
They had rented an old store building on main street
that had living quarters in the back. Dick again had a big part
to do with me playing the piano. Then I had such a desire to learn
how to play the piano, that after I couldn't take any more lessons,
I kept working on hymns. Dick had me play for some of the services,
which gave me some practice.
While I was with them, Dick had another abscess and
had to go to Denver for the surgery. God brought him through it.
It seemed that when he lived in the Midwest he had more trouble
with his leg. But through it all his faith was strong in the Lord.
Many lessons on faith in God were learned while I was living there,
and I will never forget those days. When our parents were visiting
us in 1955, I was quite ill and decided to go back to Iowa with
Mom and Dad.
That year I got a job baby-sitting nights for a nurse.
In the early spring of 1956, I had quite a prayer meeting. Something
I will always remember as long as I live is when I came to the
end of my rope, so to speak. In my desperation I cried, "God,
I've done everything I can do to try to get money to go to College,
but I can't do it. You have called me to preach your Word and
I need training. God, what are you going to do about it? I've
done all I can do." His sweet voice came back telling me
before I went to college that fall, I'd have enough money to pay
for the full year. Oh GLORY, HALLELUJAH. Yes, the glory of the
Lord filled the house where I was baby-sitting that night. This
was such a wonderful time for me with His presence so real, and
I didn't tell anybody about what God had told me, but I begin
to make my plans. God gave me the assurance that I should attend
Bethany Nazarene College (now Southern Nazarene University); in
Bethany, Oklahoma; so I wrote them about it and made all the necessary
arrangements.
In 1952, Dad was able to build a new home in the
eastern part of Mason City. He had helped one of the men he worked
with build a home and now he helped Dad with our home. We moved
to this new home in November of that year. Mr. and Mrs. Eugene
Lester lived in the house next to us before we moved. They also
moved about the same time. The house we were living in belonged
to one of the cement plants and they had decided to sell them
to private parties. Mrs. Lester knew she had cancer and had made
arrangements with her lawyer to have Dad be a trustee for her
husband when she died. One day Mom and Dad went to see them and
found her in a coma. She was placed in a nursing home, where she
died. They were both born again Christians, for which we praise
God.
Dad had to check on Mr. Lester quite often. One night
white we were there he asked me how much money I had for college.
Saving every penny I could, I told him close to $100.00, which
isn't much for a college bill. He pulled out his billfold and
gave me over $500.00. That was the answer I had been expecting,
but I didn't know where it was coming from. Oh, praise the Lord!
The Lesters had been robbed a number of years earlier and he had
been injured quite badly. He was mostly blind and because of the
circumstances Dad was made his guardian. The following day I deposited
the money in the bank. Oh, PRAISE THE LORD. HE DOES NOT FAIL.
The day finally arrived when I boarded the train
headed for Bethany. It was not easy to say good-bye, for
I had been home for a while, and I knew I'd miss my family.
Finally, we could see the train coming, and I had
to say good-bye. It was not easy to say good-bye to my family,
for they were so precious to me. Tears came, but with them was
the anticipation of what I would be learning in the months to
come.
After traveling all night, I arrived at El Reno,
Oklahoma where I changed trains and headed for Oklahoma City.
Upon arriving there I found that the cabs were on strike, but
I was able to get one to the bus depot just in time to get a bus
to Bethany. When I got off the bus, I didn't know which way to
go, so I looked and finally headed in what I thought was the right
direction. After seeing some Quonset huts, I saw a young man standing
by a car reading his Bible. So I stepped up to him and ask him
where Bethany Nazarene college was. He said, "This is it."
All I could see from that point of view was the Quonset
huts, and wondered what kind of a college I had come to. He told
me how to find Bud Robinson Hall, the dormitory where I would
be staying. In walking a little further I saw the beautiful campus.
After I finally found my room and met my roommate,
we went to Sunday school and church. During church I became quite
homesick. In the first place I was so tired from my trip and it
was all so strange to me. When we got back to our room I threw
myself on my bed and had a good cry and that ended my homesickness.
There were times when I would be lonely for my family, but God
filled in those lonely times.
After I had taken all the tests and had registered,
I went to pay my bill. Because I could pay for the whole year
at one time, I got a 20% discount and paid it all with a check.
How can I ever praise God for all His goodness to me? He had heard
that prayer that night, and knew I needed His help. Perhaps this
was what He wanted me to do all the time, but I didn't realize
it. Many lessons were learned by depending on God completely.
If we allow the devil to do it he will make our prayer
time a thing of duty, rather than pleasure. No one anywhere, but
God, can bear our burdens and carry our loads.
If we really love the Lord like we should our time spent with the Lord, us talking to Him and Him talking to us, will be the most precious time of our day. It will many times be at the place of prayer we will see the Brightness of His Glory.
I LOVE TO TALK TO YOU, DEAR LORD
By Arlene R Wright.
The college work wasn't easy for me for I hadn't
been in school for some time. Being 28 years old, I had to train
myself carefully to study again. God was by my side and helped
me all the way. Knowing I would get my first Theology test paper
back one day, I went to the prayer chapel in my dorm and asked
God to help me accept whatever grade I made. Then if it wasn't
good, to try all the harder. A B on my test paper helped me realize
all the more what God was doing for me and I gave Him all the
glory.
Living with my problem in college wasn't easy, for
my body still was not normal. With a little under padding at least
I looked normal. Being about 5 foot 1 inch tall, and my mother
being only 4 ft. 10, I didn't think that I was too short. To compensate
for my problem I tried to forget that there was any thing wrong
with me. It was the only way I could feel good about myself. Of
course, I could never forget the truth, but few at Bethany ever
dreamed I had this problem. If they had I'm sure they would have
been very kind about it.
One time, especially when God helped me, was a day
I was to preach in Homiletics class. The day before I was to preach,
I had a paper to finish for another class. This was completed
before time for prayer meeting. When I got back to the dorm that
night, I was too tired to make my outline for the sermon I was
to preach the next morning. So I set the alarm for 5:30 A. M.
and went to bed. It didn't ring and I woke just in time to get
dressed and go to breakfast. It was necessary to have an outline
for the teacher, Dr. Harold Hoyt, as well as the one I'd use.
Working on the outlines between classes, I finished them on time.
This was the second time I was to preach in class. Each student
filled out an evaluation sheet on the other student's sermon as
they preached. The first time I preached I talked too fast I learned
a valuable lesson from this. This time I slowed down and got an
A on the sermon. To God be the glory.
When the spring semester ended, I went home for the
summer. Being very tired from all my studies, I just rested and
did what I could around home. My parents and I went on vacation
to visit friends and loved ones in Wisconsin.
As fall approached I asked God what He wanted me
to do about going back to college. He assured me that I should
go back. The verse of Scripture I stood on is found in 11 Timothy
1:12, "For I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded
that He is able to keep that which I have committed unto Him against
that day." The Sunday morning before I was leaving to go
back to college, after the morning service, we were out at the
car about ready to leave, when our pastor's wife came up to me
and put a 20 dollar bill in my hand, telling me that something
told her to do that. I knew the amount wasn't the thing that really
counted, but the fact that God would provide for me. It was very
assuring just to know He was with me and would help me all the
way.
Working as a receptionist at my dormitory didn't
pay much of my bill. Every nine weeks we had to have our finances
checked before taking tests. Each time I prayed and claimed the
verse I mentioned above. God brought me through that year also.
Since I was working toward a Certificate of Theology, which covered
all the material required for ordination, I only had one more
year to go. That summer, at home, God was telling me I would have
a hard time getting back in college in the fall owing more than
$500.00 to the college and having no way to pay it. It was my
prayer that God would have His way. When it came time for me to
go back, after praying, I felt sure it was His will for me to
go back to college. After arriving back at Bethany I told my dorm
mother, Mrs. Lucille Bohannan, about my situation. She advised
me to go to the business office and see what they would decide
about it. They couldn't let me register, for I already owed too
much. I could understand it, since my bill was so high.
On a Tuesday morning, classes had started the day
before, I made my way to the prayer chapel. There I poured out
my heart to God, telling Him I was there to serve Him. Since I
knew He had told me to come back, however He worked it out it
would be fine with me. If He wanted me to get a job in Oklahoma
City to earn money to pay the bill, I would be glad to do it.
Laying all of my burden at His feet, I was filled with the most
beautiful spirit of peace. It came in billows, and just kept rolling
over my soul. This IS another great memory I will always cherish.
On Thursday at that week, I went into Oklahoma City to some employment
offices. On Friday, I was all set to take a typing test. Seeing
I was going to stay with some friend in Oklahoma City, Thursday
evening some of my friends took me out to the dorm to get some
clothes I would need the next day. When I came back to the car
I couldn't find my purse, so I thought I had left it in the dorm.
The purse had been in the car all the time, but there was a special
reason I was delayed.
As I was about to get back into the car, our dorm
receptionist called to me, and said I had a long distance call.
Before I had written home to tell the folks about
my situation, Mom had dreamed that I was in my room crying like
my heart was broken. She knew something was wrong.
She told me that Mr. Lester had given me $300.00
more, and that she would do her best to pay $25.00 a month on
my bill.
God was at work all the time and again how can I
ever praise Him enough. After a great time of rejoicing and getting
my things from the car, I went back to my dorm and the next day
registered for classes. In May of 1959, I graduated with a Certificate
of Theology. The only time Mom and Dad ever made it to Bethany
was for my graduation, and how glad I was to have them there.
It was in the Brightness of His Glory that I went to college and prepared myself for His service. It was such a privilege to attend a Nazarene College and I made so many beautiful friends there. There were so many wonderful experiences, but it would take another book to tell it all to you. Just to know Him, my Lord and my God, is the greatest knowledge of all. If you don't know Him, He is waiting with outstretched arms for you to come to Him.
JUST TO KNOW
Just to know that He is near me,
As I walk the Christian way. Just to know that I can trust Him, For He keeps me everyday.
by Arlene R Wright
As I begin this chapter I wish I could tell you I
was able to get into the full time ministry, but that didn't happen.
Since I had no openings at the time, I didn't have much choice
but to go home with my parents after graduation. The first year
out of college I had a few openings. In Glenwood, Iowa I helped
in Vacation Bible School. Their pastor was my first Nazarene pastor,
Rev. Everett 0. Davis. In August I had charge of the children's
work at the Tabor Nazarene Camp. During youth week I helped with
the program at the Church of the Nazarene in Marshalltown, Iowa.
It was a joy being the teacher of the teens Sunday school class
in my local church, and I tried to stay busy in the work of the
Lord. After my graduation I still owed quite a bill to the college.
Even though I wasn't sure how I would pay it, God provided in
a wonderful way. One of the men in our church was the assistant
manager of the Montgomery Ward Store there. He had hired me to
address advertisements from their ledgers. Of course, this was
only part time work, but each time a payment was due, I would
pray about it and in a few days I would receive a call to come
to work. God does supply our every need. When we do our best,
in every area of our lives, He will ever be by our side to provide
in every way.
In 1960, I wasn't feeling very well, so Mother wanted
me to see a new doctor, which I did. He decided that my condition
was caused by what is called Turner's Syndrome. This is caused
by not having the right amount of chromosomes. He didn't realize
he put me under the floor boards for all the confidence I had
been able to build up in my college days, was wiped away. I was
told my hands were to big and that I had feet like Minie Mouse.
I don't think he realized what affect this had on me. But God
stood by me and sustained me through these days. It is wonderful
to know we have a God that understands us. My parents and family
understood some of what I was going through, but God fully understood
it. He knew my humiliation, struggle and battle. He was always
there to comfort and guide me. Since I was His child I knew He
would see me through any problem I ever had to face. He was my
constant comfort and strength.
When we realize how small we really are, and how
strong He is, we will fully realize how much we must depend on
Him each day for our help. As the Psalmist said, "My help
cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth." - Psalms
121:2 Regardless of the nature of your problem, God cares about
you and your life. Everything that concerns you concerns Him.
The important thing is to keep our heart right with the Lord,
and we know He will give us the grace to go through each problem
that we must face in life. For about five months my father and
I shared a supply pastorate at Iowa Falls, Iowa. He would preach
on Sunday morning and then I would preach at night. The next week
we would turn it around and I would preach in the morning and
he at night. God blessed us as we worked together.
My youngest sister, Colleen, was married and had
two small children. In 1963, 1 felt led of God to move to California
and care for her children while she worked. This I did for three
years. Dick, Ella and their family lived in that area and it was
nice to be close to them.
It was my greatest desire to be in the full time ministry, earning my own way. What we want and what God wants, isn't always the same. But God does know what is best for us and can see down the road and will lead us in His ways. His way is always the best way. Many days during the three years I lived with her, I felt that I was a failure in every way. I had prepared for the ministry, and now I wasn't able to fulfill that call. Yet, I knew God wanted me to be there during that time. God showed me through a sermon, we are successful in life if we do our best and do what He asks us to do regardless of how small or menial the task may be. It was a joy to help Colleen and her children when they needed me, but I wasn't in the ministry. God gave me this poem and many times God has reminded me of it. Real success is doing our best at whatever He has given us to do. We. one day, will be home with the Lord, and then we will fully know how successful we have been. What God thinks is so much more important than what others think of us, or of what we think about ourselves. Our Lord went to the cross to purchase our salvation so we may suffer some, but it could never compare to what He suffered for us. As we are being used for the glory of the Lord, He will show us the Brightness of His Glory.
WHAT IS SUCCESS?
What is success, Dear Lord,
It's talked about so much, And those who try to find it. Find it very hard to touch.by Arlene R. Wright
In 1966, I started to notice a loss in my sight.
When I was no longer needed at Colleen's, I decided to return
to Iowa My sight was making it hard for me and the doctor couldn't
seem to find out what the problem was. After being home for two
or three weeks, Mom and Dad left for California to spend Christmas
with our family there. I spent Christmas with my sister, Bernie,
her husband, Don, and their three girls. Christmas day we spent
with Don's family and I had a very nice Christmas. On a very cold
day, January the 20, 1967 I called Bernie to tell her I needed
to go to town sometime that day. When she answered the phone,
she sounded so strange. She told me Don was coming to get me and
that I should get ready to come to her house, and that something
had happened. By the time I hung up the phone and put on my coat
and boots Don was there. Something was badly wrong, for Don didn't
miss work unless he was very ill. It was just a few blocks from
the folk's house to theirs and Don told me again that something
terrible had happened. When we got to their house, Bernie told
me our precious brother Dick had gone to be with his Lord at 6:00
A. M. Before I had left California I had wanted to see him so
badly, but got sick and couldn't make it. It was heart breaking
to think he was gone. What a comfort though to know he was with
the Lord.
On the previous night, Thursday, the rest of the
family had gone to prayer meeting. He wasn't feeling well, so
he stayed home. When they got back home, they found him on the
bed. It looked like he had been praying and tossed himself on
the bed. He had a massive brain hemorrhage, so they took him to
the hospital, and about 6:00 A. M. the next morning he smiled
a beautiful smile and was with his Lord.
We talked about flying out for the funeral, but the
decision was finally made to drive out so all the family could
go. So we left the next morning We drove all day Saturday, Saturday
night, and arrived at Colleen's on Sunday evening. Mom and Dad
were there and were taking it very hard, but God had l His hand
on them and was giving them grace. On Monday morning Glen and
Alma came and took us to the funeral home. As I saw the body of
my precious brother, the words "UNTIL HEAVEN" came into
my mind. He was 42 years old and had lived through 16 operations
on his leg and suffered more than any of us can imagine. Mom had
asked him at Christmas time if his leg hurt and he told her it
always hurt. He never let on and only at times could you see in
his face how much he was really suffering. You never heard a word
of complaint from him, but just his great faith in our wonderful
God. He was not in the active ministry at the time of his death,
because of his health, but he was always busy singing, preaching
or teaching a Sunday School class.
That afternoon at the cemetery on a his overlooking
a beautiful bay, the young man that had done Dick's gardening,
fumed to his sister and asked her to pray for him, for he wanted
to live a life like my brother had lived. Even in his death his
influence lived on. God was good to us to let us have him as long
as He did, for there were many times when we didn't think he would
make it. His wife, Ella, was very brave, along with her family.
We left the following morning and had quite a trip
home but made it safely. It wasn't easy going home to an empty
house, but God was by my side. Even though I still miss Dick,
it is wonderful to know he is no longer in pain, and I will see
him again. It is just so long for now, I'll see you in heaven.
His life was a real inspiration to me and his courage helped me
over some of the hard places I faced in life. We can't understand
all of God's ways, but we do know that our God doesn't make mistakes.
Dick used all of the talents God had given him to glorify his
Lord. He had such a beautiful voice and I am sure the courts of
heaven are ringing with that voice today.
In my heart on that day as I stood by his casket, I was saying to him, this is good-bye for now, but I promise you I'll see you again on Heaven's shores and there we will never part again. In the meantime I have much work to do for the Lord. So Dick, just UNTIL HEAVEN, with you I will truly see the Brightness of His Glory.
UNTIL HEAVEN
I often thought of heaven,
With its streets of purest gold, I have thought of all its beauty, With its splendor yet untold.by Arlene R. Wright
The Los Angeles District granted me my first District
Ministerial License in 1966. white I was still living with Colleen.
Since I had moved back to Iowa it was necessary for me to meet
the Iowa board of Orders and Relations in July of 1967. The district
has its own camp grounds near West Des Moines. Iowa My parents
had purchased a cabin on the camp grounds that year and since
that was where I was to meet the board, it gave us a good opportunity
to get it cleaned up, the lawn mowed, etc. Dr. Eugene E. Phillips
was our District Superintendent at that time and he told me about
a young man pastoring at Hamburg, Iowa who would make someone
a good husband. He asked me if he could tell this young man about
me. It was heard to know what to say. Being concerned about the
impression I would make, and yet being interested, I finally told
him that it would be all right.
Of course, I told my folks about it and a few close
friends. The first full week in August our District had Conventions
and Assembly in the daytime and the camp meeting service at night
Since my sight was not improving and I longed to be in the full
time ministry earning my own living, I felt quite discouraged.
A dear friend tried to encourage me and said she felt things might
change after I had been to camp meeting.
One day I slipped up to some hills behind our cabin
on the camp grounds, and had quite a talk with my Lord. In my
prayer, I reminded Him that He had called me into His ministry
and that that call was as clear as the day He called me. As I
left that private vigil I knew that God was in control and would
see me through. The answer to my prayers was on the camp grounds,
but I didn't realize it.
On Friday night of that week, after the camp meeting
service, they were going to show pictures of a fishing trip some
of the pastors had won in a Sunday school contest. I don't remember
now if they were slides or a movie. One of our friends had a bad
headache. After the service I went to our cabin and got some aspirins
for her, and took them to her. As I was nearing the tabernacle
I prayed that if God wanted me to meet that young man from Hamburg,
to let it happen. The first time I saw him was when he gave his
first pastor's report. The next person to speak to me was Mrs.
Phillips, the wife of the district superintendent, who asked me
if I had met that young man from Hamburg yet. When I told her
that I hadn't, she went to look for him and found him praying
with someone. She took me over and introduced us. His name was
Rev. Howard Wright. He was real easy to talk to and I realized
that I was older than he. The next night Dr. Phillips didn't know
we had been introduced, and brought him down to where I was and
we were introduced the second time. That night I told him how
old I was. While he walked me back to our cabin, he mentioned
coming up to see me the next day, which was Sunday. Mom and Dad
had suggested that I invited him up for dinner, which I was reluctant
to do.
When he mentioned coming up to the cabin to see me,
I felt free to invite him for dinner. So we had a wonderful meal
together, for my Mom was a great cook. He was a tease right from
the start. As we walked back down to the tabernacle for the afternoon
service, I mentioned that the gravel was hard to walk in. He told
me not to worry for if I fell he would help pick me up. An so
we started a great romance. The Spear family was our camp singers
that year. Brock Spear told us in the afternoon service to turn
to the one next to us and tell them we loved them. The my mother
couldn't pass up. There was a lady friend sitting between Mom
and me, but Mom reached around her and said, "Be careful,
Arlene, be careful", and gave me her sweet grin. We sat together
in the evening service and exchanged addresses.
Howard and I began to correspond and I invited him
to come up and be with us for his vacation. We lived about 310
miles from him in northern Iowa. He lived in the southwest comer
of the state. He was able to come and we had a wonderful time
together. It was that week that we fell in love. Later I received
a letter from him asking me to be his wife. Up to this time I
had not told him anything about my personal problem which made
it impossible for me to ever have any children of my own. At this
particular time I wrote him to tell him about this, but did not
tell him the reason. Then I went to a doctor to have examination
to see if I could be a wife. How afraid I was that I would get
a negative answer, but praise the Lord, I was all right. After
this I wrote him a full explanation of all I knew. My mother wrote
some things that would have been too hard for me. In this letter
I told him if he felt he couldn't be happy with me, knowing we
would never have a family of our own, that he was free to find
someone else, and that I would pray for him that God would give
him a good wife. Because I loved him very much, I didn't want
him to marry me and be unhappy. This was the hardest letter I
ever wrote. It wasn't that I doubted his love, but I wanted him
to be happy more than anything, even if I had to pay the price.
He wrote that he thought that God had put me on the
angel program, for angels don't have babies either. He still wanted
me to be his wife, and I was about the happiest woman in the world.
So many times I had wondered if I could ever find a man who would
love me in my condition, and my God again showed his great love
for me.
In twenty eight years of married life I have never
had to ask my husband if he loved me, for proves his love in so
many ways. On November 21, 1967, dressed in the wedding gown my
Mom had made for me, we were united in wedlock by Dr. Gene E.
Phillips. We had a beautiful wedding and lovely reception. Then
we went to Brazil, Indiana for our honeymoon. None of Howard's
family could come to our wedding so we went to be with them on
our honeymoon After a short stay with them we came back to Mason
City, and got our things. One of our friends used his pick up
truck with a camper on it to carry a little furniture that we
had bought. The folks went with us and that evening I arrived
at my new home. Oh, how happy I was Home, yes, a home of my own,
and a wonderful husband to work with in the ministry. How good
God has been to me.
Since that time I have had many physical problems, but God has gone with us through it all. The love I have received from my husband is just a little insight to the Brightness of His Glory. As children of the King we can expect God to do great things for us, that far exceed our imaginations. That is what God did for me in so many ways. He will do it for you, remember He loves you so much and has your best interest at heart. Don't forget, if you have accepted Him as your Savior, you are the child of the King.
WE ARE CHILDREN OF THE KING
If we've given our lives to God,
We're the children of the King. But the way some of us look, You'd think the opposite thing.by Arlene R Wright
In the summer of 1968, Howard received a call to
two churches in North Dakota, Tuttle and Denhoff. After much prayer
we made our move and began a very busy life. He would leave our
home at 8:30 A. M. on Sunday mornings and drive to Denhoff where
they had church first and then Sunday school. Then he would drive
back to Tuttle and usually get there just in time to go to the
platform and preach. On Wednesday nights we had prayer meeting
in Denhoff, and Thursday nights in Tuttle. Then we had Sunday
evening service in Denhoff one week and in Tuttle the next.
That fall he went to the High School with one of
our church boys, and came back with a chemistry teaching job.
So you see we were very busy, but so happy in the work of the
Lord. The people were so wonderful and so generous with their
farm products. How much we appreciated them. They kept us in eggs,
cream, meat and various other things.
In the spring of 1969, I was in the hospital in Bismarck
and about the time my doctor was going to dismiss me, I asked
him about my sight which I was still loosing. He ordered an angiograph.
In this test they shoot dye into the head through the veins in
the neck. Even though they gave me some anesthetic I was still
in a lot of pain and discomfort. They found a tumor on my pituitary
gland and suggested immediate surgery. God begin to warn me not
to have it done at that time. There was no mistaking God's word
in anyway. Howard also felt the same way. It was my feeling that
since God didn't want me to have the surgery, He would heal me.
He had healed me a number of times so I just turned it over to
Him.
In 1971, we were pastoring in Olivia, Minnesota and
my doctor got very serious and told me I had to do something about
the tumor. He told me I could go to Mayo Clinic or to the University
of Minnesota Hospital. He would contact them and get an appointment
for me. We decided that we might have to have state help and chose
the University of Minnesota. We left the office and returned in
a couple of hours and found he had gotten an appointment for me
the following Monday. This was a real surprise to me for I thought
it might be a month or two before I could get an appointment On
the 28th of June we met Dr. Long, my neurosurgeon, who was very
kind. When I met him I explained to him I had a bleeding problem.
When I had my tonsils out, they had to put clamps down my throat
to stop the bleeding and also I could bleed for a day or two after
I had a tooth pulled. He would have liked to put me in the hospital
then, but I asked if I couldn't have that night to spend with
my husband and go into the hospital the next day. He granted my
wish. Dr. Norman Bloom was our District Superintendent at that
time and he and his wife were so kind to us. We spent that night
in their home. The following day I entered the hospital full of
fear and doubt. That kind of surgery would be hard for anyone
to think about!
That weekend I was released from the hospital and
we went to see Mom and Dad. Mom went home with us for our Sunday
services and then to the hospital with me the following week.
She was so sweet to come, but it was hard for Dad. He had surgery
that spring and wasn't feeling that well either. It was during
this week that God gave me a real rest in Him. He told me I would
go through the surgery and live. He calmed the fears and storms
that raged in my heart at that time. On Thursday of that week,
I had a New-mon-encelifligraft. They put me to sleep for this
and took fluid from my spinal column and let air come into my
head, and then they got some good pictures of the tumor. They
had hoped to go up through my nose to take out the tumor, but
found the tumor was too big to do this. They would have to open
my head up almost ear to ear. Through it all my God was by my
side and I felt His divine presence. Because I didn't have a headache
on Friday morning they said I could go home for the week end.
Mom went home by bus, and I appreciated so much having her with
me through that hard week.
On Saturday, my back begin to hurt where they had
put the needle in. I was on strong doses of cortisone and not
realizing this would double the strength of any other medication,
I called my local doctor to see if he could order me some pain
medication. After explaining my situation to him, I asked him
about taking some strong aspirins. He said that would be just
fine. A few hours after taking them, I went on a drug trip. Oh,
it was terrible! Everything was so weird. It wasn't until after
surgery I got over this. Sunday evening I went back into the hospital.
Our church people were so loving and understanding. It wasn't
an easy time for them either.
My surgery was scheduled for 11:00 A. M. on July
the 14. My sister, Bernie, brought Mom and Dad up for the surgery.
Since my glands weren't working, I was deficient in factor 8 that
makes the blood clot. They used 51 pints of blood to get the plasma
I needed for that surgery. They started to work on me quite early
that morning and when Howard stepped into the room, he had a worried
look on his face, for he didn't think they would be working on
me yet. Even though I didn't plan on shedding tears, when I saw
the troubled look on his face I shed a few tears for him. They
had canceled a surgery and wanted to take me in earlier than they
had planned. My desire was to see my parents and sister before
I went to surgery. When I thought they would take me before they
got there I begin to cry, and about that time they stepped through
the door. It wasn't because I didn't think I'd see them again,
but I just wanted to see them before going into surgery. The first
thing they had to do was to shave my head. Not all of it, but
back a way so they could make an incision. How old that razor
was I don't know, but it felt like they were going to take my
scalp off too. Finally, I asked the doctor doing it, how much
he was going to take off. He asked me how much they had promised
to leave. They hadn't said anything about it and I heard Dr. Long
say that was enough.
That is about all I remember until coming out of
it in the recovery room, Dr. Long used a microscope after making
the incision and found one of my main arteries wasn't covered
by bone tissue. You see, if I had surgery done in North Dakota,
I would have been dead on two accounts, the blood condition and
the uncovered artery. You never make a mistake by minding God.
It took them four hours to do the surgery. It was also in the
brain area and my right optic nerve was smashed like a noodle,
leaving me legally blind in the right eye.
When I woke up, my main problem was the sensation
of spinning in space. My eyes were swollen shut and I couldn't
see that I wasn't spinning. Howard held my hand, but that didn't
stop my spinning. When I got my eyes open I could see I wasn't
spinning, even though I felt like I was. Mom stayed a few days
with me that was a great help. A fellow pastor and his wife were
so kind to us by opening their home for Howard and my Mother to
stay with them. So many people helped me at that time I could
never name all the things they did.
One Sunday, while still in the hospital, I had a
wonderful experience. Howard was home in Olivia taking care of
the church services, and I was in the hospital without a roommate,
While listening to a Christian radio station playing Doug Oldam's
rendition of "The King is Coming", the King Jesus came
that afternoon in the Brightness of His Glory, and comforted my
heart. He was so real, I think anyone coming into the room could
have felt His presence. How can I ever thank Him enough! This
will always be a wonderful memory to me.
He is able to help us meet every situation we face
in this life, regardless of what it is. He promised He would never
leave us or forsake us. Isn't it wonderful to know that He is
always there hearing and answering our prayers? Whatever your
need is today, He alone is able to see you through. He is able.
People all around us need to hear about God's ability to help us and keep us. That is one reason I have written this book. Our God can do what He did for the three Hebrew children by taking us through our fiery furnace. They came out of the furnace without the smell of smoke, and so may we. My friend, whatever your need, our God whom we serve is able. We may see the enemy's forces all around but God can help us see God's great army arrayed against the devil's forces.
HE'S ABLE
Are you tempted to be discouraged?
Don't think it's something new. It's Satan's plot of long ago, Now He's trying it on you.
It was necessary for me to have cobalt treatments
although I didn't have cancer. If they missed a cell of the tumor
in surgery, it could grow and that would mean another surgery.
As an out patient, I would have this done five days a week. The
big problem was, where was I going to stay. They had a hall, Powell
Hall, where you could rent a room, but our budget wasn't big enough
to allow for that. It became a matter of prayer. One day a young
nurse was in my room and I was explaining my problem to her when
she told me she had a room in Powell Hall, and she didn't sleep
there and I was more than welcome to use it while I had my cobalt
treatments. God heard and answered prayer again. Four out of the
five weeks of treatments 1 used her room and paid her a small
fee. She didn't even want to take that. God does have a way of
working things out if we will but trust Him.
On July 30th, I was dismissed from the University
of Minnesota Hospital. The day before I was to leave the hospital
Mrs. Margaret Bloom, our district superintendent's wife, gave
me a wig. It made me so happy to know I wouldn't have to go around
with a skull cap. We could never thank the wonderful people who
were so kind to us at this needy time in our lives. When I was
dismissed from the hospital I remember how strong I felt and had
plans of going home and doing some housework. When I got home
I found I wasn't as strong as I thought I was. One of our teen
aged girls had cleaned our parsonage. How I appreciated that.
The following Monday we were back in Minneapolis
and it took them three hours to put the red markings on the sides
of my face, to correspond with the area of the tumor. Since I
didn't have cancer the treatments didn't make me sick, but I felt
quite weak.
One of the greatest thrills of my life came during
assembly. Howard and I were both up for ordination. We met the
board and I praise God that our church is so careful about the
ministers they ordain. They had asked my husband what he would
do if they didn't ordain him. He told them that God had ordained
him years ago, and it would not change his ministry. As we went
to our room after that meeting, which was after the evening service,
I wasn't sure whether they would ordain me or not, but I committed
it to the Lord, knowing He was fully in charge of my affairs.
The next day we were informed that we were both going to be ordained.
I called my parents and told them about our ordination and they
were able to come and be with us for that important event.
The week before coming to camp, Howard and I had
looked in Minneapolis for a suitable dress for me for ordination.
Anything we could afford wasn't suitable, and what was suitable,
we couldn't afford. After resuming home we went to Willmar, Minnesota
and there I found a beautiful three piece suit on sale at half
price. It was just what God wanted me to have, and I am still
wearing it from time to time. God does care about anything that
is a problem to us, no matter how small it may be. Oh, how much
we owe to our great and wonderful God.
If you would have seen me at the time of ordination,
you may have not known me. For one thing my wig wasn't the same
color as my hair. Then I had gained some weight, and I had red
X's on the side of my face for the cobalt treatments. If I had
lost those markings it would have taken them another 3 hours to
remark them.
Talk about thrills, that night was full of them.
As our group marched to the front of the tabernacle to the tune
of "Called unto Holiness" I remember how thrilled I
was. Earlier the choir sang "There's Something About That
Name." The greatest thrill of all came as an answer to my
prayer. Dr. George Coulter was our General Superintendent and
I appreciated the fact he would be laying his hands on me, but
I asked God for His touch at this time, and God did touch me in
a special way. What an honor it is to be an ordained elder in
the Church of the Nazarene. There is quite a debt I owe to my
church. For it was there I heard the message of entire sanctification,
had the privilege of going to a Nazarene college and met my wonderful
husband. It is my hope that in some way I can give back to the
church my life of service and love to my wonderful Lord.
The following Monday I went back to Minneapolis for
two more weeks of cobalt I treatments. Of course, I was home each
week end. My bill was over $7,000.00 and our insurance paid $5,000.00
of it. How we appreciated having that coverage. Dr. Norman Bloom
presented our case to the Board of Ministerial Benevolence and
they sent us a check for close to $1,000,00. He told us when we
got the check and were going to go to the hospital to pay the
bill, or what we could pay on it, he wanted to go with us. So
on a set day he met us there. He explained that my husband was
the pastor of the Church of the Nazarene at Olivia, Minnesota
and that our salary was $50.00 a week. He told him how much the
insurance had paid and that we had a check of almost a $1,000.00
that day from our General Church through Ministerial Benevolence,
and asked him what he would suggest After placing the entire matter
in God's hands, I put my complete trust in Him. If the hospital
decided not to cancel any of the bill, then I knew that He would
help us get the money to pay it. The man did some figuring on
his adding machine and told us if we would give him a check for
$810.05 that would take care of our bill. They forgave us $600.00.
OH, GLORY BE TO JESUS. God took care of it all. We did our best
to express our appreciation to him. My husband went to different
departments at the hospital where we owed money, and they told
him they were accepting the insurance payment as final payment.
We had enough left to pay off a loan we had to make. Oh, what
a thrill to serve a God that never fails us or forsakes us.
The greatest thrill of all is yet to come when I meet my Lord face to face. I am looking forward to that day, but each day it is a wonderful thrill to walk with Him. He fills me with the Brightness of His Glory. Each day there are new thrills and new insights into His glory. Oh, that I might be able to illuminate Him. As the moon has no light of its own, but just reflects the sun's light, I want to show forth the Brightness of His Glory to those all around me.
THE GREATEST THRILL
There could never be a greater thrill,
While on this earth below, Than the thrill of walking with our God, Oh, what a thrill to know.by Arlene R. Wright
In the spring of 1972, we had gone to a neighboring
church to hear Evangelist Bob Hickey. That night he gave his life
story and told us how he came to Christ. We were very blessed
by the service. He announced that the following evening, Saturday
night, he was going to show slides of their work with the Indians
in Arizona which they did in the summer time when they didn't
have revivals slated. It sounded very interesting, so we went.
We were greatly impressed with the work he, his wife and daughter
were doing. On the way home I said to my husband, "Honey,
wouldn't it be wonderful if God would ever call us to do something
like that?" He said that it sure would be. We just couldn't
forget about it and as summer came on so did the awareness that
God was through with us at Olivia We met Dr. Bloom and told him
about our desire to work with the American Indians. He gave us
Rev. G. H. Pearson's address, who at that time was the District
Superintendent. We were praying that if it wasn't God's will,
not to let us go. We only wanted to be where He wanted us to be
doing what He wanted us to do. This was about the time of the
General Assembly and of course Rev. Pearson was very busy. We
did hear from him though, and he sent us some application blanks
to be filled out. We kept on praying that God's will would be
done. Then we received a letter from him saying that he was still
waiting for some of our references and that he would call us the
next week and let us know. He had a place in mind for us.
The following week we were to help in the Boys and
Girls camp at Camp Jim, near Brainerd, Minnesota. So Howard wrote
right back and told him where we were going to be and the phone
number there. It was just at the dinner hour with over 150 children
fined up in front of the dining hall when the call came. Howard
couldn't even hear where we were supposed to go, but that we were
being appointed. When he came by me on the way to be with his
boys, he told me we had been appointed. As I was jumping up and
down with excitement, the girls from my cabin wondered what was
wrong with me. I told them if they could keep a secret, I would
tell them after dinner. That evening Dr. Bloom was able to talk
to Rev. G. H. Pearson and found out we was going to Sells, Arizona
to work with the Thono Odahm Indians (Papago Indians when we were
there). We were so happy and the following Sunday we announced
our resignation. When I had called my parents to let them know
about our next move their response was that they had given me
to the Lord before I was born and they were glad for me to serve
Him, wherever He might lead. How much I appreciated my Godly parents
and their commitment to Him.
We were quite busy the next few weeks getting things
packed and selling a few items that we couldn't take with us.
We would be leaving Friday during the week of district assembly.
At the assembly they called me to give my yearly report as an
ordained elder. When I finished I went to sit down, but they called
me back. Then Howard gave his report and we both went to sit down
and they called us back again. Each church on the Minnesota District
had taken an offering for us, and presented it to us at that time.
It was very deeply appreciated. We thought we would put it into
a bank when we got to our new home, but God knew we would need
it before we were settled there and provided for us in this wonderful
way.
On Friday, the son of one of our neighboring pastors
came and helped us pack a tandem trailer. We had supper with some
friends and about 6:00 P. M. we headed out for my parent's home.
It was only about 130 some miles and we should have made it in
a few hours. After some car trouble we arrived at my parent's
home about 6:00 A. M.
We spent that day, Saturday, resting and getting
the car fixed. We didn't like to travel on Sunday, but we had
to in order to make it on time in Arizona. We left Mason City
on Sunday morning stopping in Ames, Iowa for church. We were traveling
one day down a mountain pass on a two lane road and coming up
this road was a big truck, when a car pulled out to pass. With
all the weight of that trailer behind us, if we would have hit,
there would have been no way for us to have lived. My husband
decided to go to the edge of the road, but the driver of the car
cut across and missed us only by inches. We knew God had His hand
on us. When we were traveling between Flagstaff and Phoenix, Arizona
our radiator boiled over. We didn't have any water with us, but
it started to rain. Howard found a place close by where they had
made an opening in the pavement to let the water run off. He soon
found a tin can and begin to fill the radiator. As soon as he
had it full, it stopped raining. God sent that rain just for us
when we needed it.
When we arrived at Phoenix, we went to Rev. and Mrs.
Pearson's home for the night. Rev. Pearson was already at Sells
and the next day we took Mrs. Pearson with us. They were having
camp meeting when we arrived. They have it from Wednesday through
Sunday before Labor Day. The camp meeting evangelist was staying
in the parsonage, so we moved our things into two of the bedrooms,
and resumed the trailer to a place in Tucson.
Seeing it would take a few days after the camp meeting
to get our things unpacked and arranged, Rev. Pearson left his
small trailer for us to stay in until we could get settled. Our
mission station consisted of an alabaster church, the parsonage
and the cook house. During camp meeting they furnish all the meals
for the people. After supper the first night a little girl was
bitten by a scorpion, and we took her and her mother to the local
hospital. The Doctor told us they had killed a rattle snake in
the hospital yard the day before and gave us a long list of all
the poisonous creatures that live around there. This little girl
had no complications from the bite.
That night after we were in bed we heard something
howling. We had never heard coyotes before, and thought sure it
was some dog that had been bitten by a rattle snake, or something
similar. We soon learned our mistake and got used to hearing them
howl. We were always very cautious to make sure there were no
snakes or the like on the ground as we went to church.
We enjoyed the Camp Meeting very much and were glad
to meet the former pastor there, Rev. Clarence Liston. He was
going to our Indian Bible School in Albuquerque, New Mexico. He
took Howard calling with him and that was a great help. We also
meet Rev. and Mrs. Alfred Wickland, missionaries in Tucson. They
were such good friends and came out on Labor Day to help us with
some painting in the house.
For the first 14 months we lived there we
had to carry all of the water we used in a large plastic container.
Between where we lived and where we got the water was a wash,
which would turn into a little creek when it rained. We could
only fill the container about half full, for if it was filled
up you lost quite a bit of it going through the wash. We did have
a septic tank, so we were thankful for that convenience. A blue
granite canner was used to heat water for dishes. We had another
container in a closet near the bathroom, which we used so we could
flush the bathroom stool. The government came into our area and
built one hundred new homes for our Indian people, and brought
the water line through. We were able to connect to this. What
a blessing. The day we got the water turned on, I did quite a
bit of mopping. The parsonage was quite new and had all the pipes
in it. How were they to know if they were tight or not without
any water to go through them? It wouldn't have bothered me if
the water was up to my knees for I was so glad to have running
wafer in our home.
So many times we take things for granted until we
no longer have them. Since I am legally blind in my right eye
and have lost some of the sight in my left eye, I appreciate the
gift of sight more than ever. Why must we lose things in order
to appreciate them? Let's stop and thank God for all the blessings
He gives us and count them day by day.
To a certain extent, I think we went through a cultural
shock. When we saw homes with dirt walls and floors, cooking being
done in a cactus arbor, water and wood being carried for miles,
it was quite a shock. I didn't realize that people in the United
States lived in such a style. When the ladies wanted their floors
to look neat, they would rake it. Not all homes were like this.
Some had cement floors and things somewhat better. The food prices
at the trading post were unreasonable. One day, in 1973, I went
to buy a quart of skim milk, and it was 90 some cents.
It was necessary for us to go to Tucson once a week
to buy our groceries, do our laundry, and banking for us and the
church. Most of the time we would stop and see our friends, the
Wicklands, and spend some relaxing time with them.
On Monday nights we went south 20 miles to a little
village to hold Sunday school and church. We were allowed the
use of the tribal building, unless they were using it that night.
This was a real outreach for the church. One of our ladies went
with us and taught the adult class. My husband and I taught the
children. Howard would take us to the building where we had our
services, and then go and pick up the people. One little girl
was a challenge and needed to learn discipline. In the last service
there I gave each child a sheet of typing paper and asked them
to draw a picture on it. When we got hers, she had printed on
the bottom of the page, I LOVE YOU. We had tried to convey to
all of the children our great love for them, and most of all God's
love. She felt our love for her through our gentle discipline.
It took a while for the people to get adjusted to
us. The church was only about seven years old and they had always
had Rev. Clarence Liston as their pastor. Most or nearly all of
their services had been in the Papago language. Then come two
greenhorn missionaries who didn't know a word in Papago and the
services had to be done in English. There were only a few of the
people who didn't understand English. These were the older people.
The young people and children weren't learning the Papago language
and they will soon lose it if they don't start learning it.
Since the adult class was in Papago, I felt the need
for an English class, and I started one. We had some white people
living in that area who could take advantage of this class. It
was also necessary to have a children's church. It started after
Sunday School through to the end of the church service. I found
that I just had a hard time getting enough material to last that
long. So we went to church and left when my husband got up to
preach. This worked out well, and we praise God for the way He
helped us in so many wonderful ways.
One day when I had an appointment at the University
of Arizona Clinic, I met Dr. Dorthea Hellman. She told me there
was one test she wanted to take, to see if I had Turner's syndrome.
This was very upsetting to me and I told her all I had been through
in connection with it. Neither Howard nor I could make ourselves
accept the idea that I had Turner's syndrome. He had worked with
patients in a mental hospital in Nampa, Idaho, when he was a student
there, and knew some of the things that go along with Tumer's
syndrome. She was a very sweet lady and said if they found that
I had it, she didn't want to hear me mention it in her office.
This time, for the first time, they took a blood test to test
the chromosomes. When the test came back the chromosomes were
perfect and it had been the tumor on my pituitary gland that had
kept the other glands from working. No one, but God, and my husband
knows the release I found that day. No longer could the devil
call me a freak and get away with it So many times when I had
preached and someone found victory at the altar of prayer, the
devil would come around and point his long finger at me and remind
me that I was not normal. Now God had set me free, and I will
be praising Him throughout the endless ages of eternity.
As you know, one of the biggest problems with our
dear Indians is the liquor bottle. It was against the law to sell
it on the reservation, but some got away with it. It was so sad
to see them lying along the road. One night we nearly ran over
a man laying in a driveway. One day, while doing dishes, I heard
a light knock on our back door. There stood a woman, whose common
law husband had knocked her down, and kicked her in the head with
his cowboy boots. We took her to the doctor and thought for sure
she would never drink. But not many weeks later, she was drunk
and had given her house key to her little four year old daughter,
and she didn't know where it was. Another lady, whom we also took
to the hospital came to our front door with a similar problem.
One young man came to the house on a Sunday morning desiring to
go to our Bible School, so Howard made the arrangements. He didn't
come back and a few months later he had died of cirrhosis of the
liver.
But thank God, we could tell them of One who could
take that appetite away from them and set them free. Many times
the men would come and testify about knowing someone in the church
when they used to drink. We have such good news for all mankind.
While we were there I did have some physical problems.
It was necessary for us to go for close to a 2 1/2 mile walk in
the desert one day. On Sunday we had had a blow out. The spare
tire wasn't much good, and someone loaned us an old fashioned
tire pump. On Monday, Howard got it fixed and that night when
we let the children out at the tribal building, where we had our
outpost, they were laughing, for they could hear the air coming
out of one of the tires. One of our ladies had come in her car
and she drove us back to town to see if we could find a tire to
fit it We tried, but they didn't fit, so we took that tire off
and went home for the night The next day Howard got it fixed and
another lady took us out Howard put the tire back on. When we
got back to Sells, we decided to go and see a lady who lived 10
miles out in the desert. We lacked one tenth of a mile from being
2 1/2 miles from her home, as we were going home when another
tire blew. It was too hot to just sit there. So we decided to
walk back to our lady's home to see what she could do to help
us.
On Wednesday I had promised Mrs. Wickland that I
would put a permanent in her hair. While we were there Howard
got very sick and had to go to the doctor. Since Howard was too
sick to go home we spent the night with them. In the night I got
sick and ended up in the hospital.
There were blood clots coming up through my legs
going through my heart and lungs causing problems. After being
in the hospital twenty one days, they sent me home on a blood
thinner called Cubadin. After breaking out with a rash, the Lord
told me I was going back to the hospital. This worried me, for
I was concerned about the bill. He soon reminded me of what He
had done for us at the University of Minnesota Hospital. The following;
Monday I went back to the doctor and the blood thinner wasn't
doing its job. I was the 5th person in the United States to ever
be allergic to it. Again they admitted me to the hospital for
several days. Finally, I got over this problem.
In the summer of 1973 I got a pain in my right hip,
and I finally went to the doctor to have it checked. After x-rays
they told me my hip socket was dying and there was nothing they
could do for me. They suggested that I get some crutches and use
them. After writing my parents about it, they began to pray. That
year we had our Vacation Bible School the same time as our camp
meeting. During this week I didn't have any pain at all. The next
week I went to see the doctor and he asked me if it was hurting,
and I told him that it wasn't. He said I was lucky, and I told
him it wasn't luck but faith in God that had made the difference.
God completely healed me of that.
The bill? One of my doctors had told me if I had
trouble with it to let him know. The day we were packing the van
and trailer to leave, the hospital called to tell me they were
canceling the rest of my bill. God does not fail, for He does
what He says He will do.
In April of 1974, we had Rev. and Mrs. Ed Timer,
who had been missionaries to the Indians for a number of years,
hold a revival for us. On Easter Sunday afternoon we went out
to their little trailer which they had parked behind our parsonage,
to have a visit with them. They told us they thought we ought
to leave our work there. This was a real shock to us, but we begin
to pray about it. We were there under God's orders and we wanted
to be sure we were still in His will. As we prayed we became aware
that our work was done there. We contacted Dr. Norman Bloom about
getting another pastorate. We were still members of the Minnesota
District. You can't belong to the North American Indian District
unless you are Indian.
We resigned our church not knowing where God was
going to lead us. One Monday, not too long before we left, Howard
was very upset and discouraged. We were going to be leaving and
as yet had no direction as to where we were to go and what we
were to do. He spent quite a bit of time out on the desert praying
about it As we woke the following morning God had revealed to
him what He wanted us to do. Howard was to go back to college
and get his degree so he could get a job to support us while we
started new churches on the Minnesota District. He had a number
of college hours of work, but not enough in any major to graduate.
He had finished the course of studies through correspondence in
order to be ordained.
We were content and knew our God would not fail us, but see us through. Some of the scriptures I read that morning were promises for the future. It was so very hard to leave those wonderful people, but it always pays for everyone's benefit to mind God. Hearing those beautiful Christian people as their choir sang for us on our last Sunday there, will forever be in our memories. The day will come when we will meet them in heaven. There together we will see the brightness of His Glory.
ME A MISSIONARY, LORD?
Me a missionary, Lord?
How could that be? Me a missionary, Lord? You don't mean me.by Arlene R. Wright
We stayed for a few weeks with my folks. Then we
were called to fill in during the vacation of the pastor at Olivia,
Minnesota. We made an appointment with Dr. Norman Bloom. It looked
like we were going to have to attend one of our Nazarene Colleges
since Howard's credits went back to the 1960s. As we were visiting
with the Blooms they told us about Rev. and Mrs. Samuel Mackety.
They were going to try to start an Indian church in Minneapolis.
They managed an apartment building on the University of Minnesota
campus. This was of great interest to us. Dr. Bloom mentioned
it was too bad they couldn't keep us around there so we could
help them. Then he picked up the phone and dialed the University
and found out they would accept all of Howard's credits. He took
us over to one of the offices and Howard registered as a resident
student. Although we had been out of state, since our credentials
were still held my the Minnesota District, they accepted him as
a resident student, which saved us quite a bit. He was able to
use his veterans' college benefits. Dr. Bloom had called the Macketys
to see if they had any apartments available. Since they did, we
went over to see them. The only one they had was in the basement.
It wasn't real nice, but I am always happy when I know I am in
God's divine will. Then they showed us an apartment on first floor
that had been spoken for. The man who rented it was to sign the
papers the next week.
We went home to pray about it, and felt it was God's
will. However, the man didn't sign the lease and Dr. Bloom drove
all the way across town to sign it for us. So we had an efficiency
apartment on the first floor. We had a Murphy bed that was fastened
to the closet door. The bed folded into the closet during the
day, and out into the living room at night. We stored some of
our things with a good friend of ours in Mason City, and just
took with us what we needed in our apartment.
It was important that I find a job. The apartment
was very small and it would have been hard to be in it all of
the time. At the employment office the only job I could find I
thought would be suitable was a catalog selector at Sears. Howard
took me over there and while I talked to the personnel director,
the Lord told Howard I wouldn't get that job, but the next one.
Sure enough, they had already hired the people they needed. It
was back to the employment office at which time I was interviewed
by a former minister. We had quite a talk after which he sent
me over to the redemption center for the General Mills products
where I was employed until Howard graduated from the University
of Minnesota with a degree in small group speech communication.
It was a real joy working with Rev. and Mrs. Mackety.
While we were there a beautiful church building was purchased.
A lot of our time and energy went into helping get this church
established. God kept His hand upon us during those years. When
it came time for us to find a town to start a church in, the district
didn't have the funds available to assist us. This became a matter
of prayer. God knew our willingness to follow Him wherever He
might lead.
When Howard finished his last term there, we had
to move out of our apartment. You couldn't live there if you weren't
a student. We stored our things in a room in the basement of our
Indian church and went down to my folks. While there, one Sunday
afternoon, I felt the need of getting alone with the Lord. Mom
had laid down for her afternoon nap, Dad was resting in his chair
and Howard was busy with something at the time. Taking my Bible,
I went to a nearby park where I sat down at a park table to read.
After reading for a while. I went walking by the river that went
through the park, praying, "God, Jonah didn't want to follow
you, but we do. You had a place for Jonah to go, surely you have
a place for us. We only want to do your will." After a while,
I went back up and sat at the park table again. When I glanced
up the road at the bridge I saw a man looking for someone or something.
It was hard for me to see very clearly whether it was my Dad or
not He took a couple of steps, and when he started walking down
my way, I knew his walk. Running up to meet him I put my arm through
his, and we walked home together. The Lord spoke to me that day
and said. "Arlene, Just put your arm through mine, and we'll
walk home together." Talk about security, we have it as God's
children. It wasn't long after that that we were called to pastor
the Church of the Nazarene in Cedarburg, Wisconsin. This is about
21 miles north of Milwaukee. How I thank God for Godly parents
who prayed for us through some very hard years, and showed us
a little of God's great love through theirs.
There is no real security outside of God. The things
of this world fade and lose their values. We may not have many
of the things this world calls dear--possessions, homes, cars,
and such, but if we are walking with the King of kings every day,
knowing He will never fail us, we have the greatest security in
the world. These things are not wrong, if we keep them in their
proper place, but the most important thing we can do in life is
to maintain a right relationship with God and be fully committed
to Him and His will.
When I first started to preach my dream was to preach in every state in the United States of America by the time I was 40 years old. It was just that, a dream. That wasn't God's plan for my life. We will feel the security of His love as we lose ourselves in His plans and wishes. Many times God's promises have conditions. If you are not walking in full accord with God's plan for your life. then I am afraid you wilt feel insecure. Being fully committed to Him, and being used by Him is one of the greatest thrills of my life. When you are willing to give your best, you will be Amazed at what God will do with, and for, you. Life may not go the way you want it to, but it doesn't matter when you lose yourself and find that life in Him. All you need to do is turn yourself completely over to Him, and accept His will as the ultimate goal of your lives. Then you will find security.
SECURITY
Security, Oh what a word,
It's used so much these days, By so many different people, In so many different ways.by Arlene R. Wright
One day my iron needed cleaning while I was getting
our clothes ready to go to family camp on the Wisconsin District.
While using a cleaning and polishing product on it I had gotten
some on the floor, but I had wiped it up. Camp was a very blessed
time, and we enjoyed it so much. We came home on a Sunday night
and the next morning Howard had left to help in our Boys and Girls
camp. That evening I had taken off my shoes and lay down for a
few minutes on the davenport. Then I got up and went into the
kitchen to call my parents. They had been to the Iowa District
camp that same week. After I finished talking to them, I came
back toward the living room and my nylon stocking hit that spot
and I came down with a bang. After trying to get on the davenport,
and being unable to do so, I pushed my way down the hall and into
our bedroom where I got the phone and called one of our church
ladies. She came and called the doctor and the ambulance. The
x-rays showed that my hip was broken. Howard came home from camp
and I had surgery two or three days later.
Not long after that I had a very difficult time sleeping
and if I did sleep it was a nightmare. Every bite of food I ate
I forced down because I wanted to get well. Because of a serious
mental problem I had to go back to the hospital after being home
one night. After an examination I was informed by the doctor that
my mental metabolism was out of balance. It was so bad I told
my husband if God ever brought me out of this I could never praise
Him enough and I am still praising Him.
My parents came and spent three weeks with us. The
first week I was still in the hospital and the other two I was
at our home in Cedarburg, WI. They were a tremendous source of
encouragement and blessing. A week or so after they went home
and since I was allergic to the medication I ask Howard to go
in the living room to have prayer with me concerning my mental
condition. When I begin to plead the blood of Jesus I could feel
His healing touch.
We are often tempted to wonder why we have to go through these hard places, but when we consecrate ourselves to the Lord we are no longer our own. Perhaps because I went through this experience I will have more love and understanding for those with similar problems. We must reach out to all around us and let them know that we love them and that above all God loves them. He alone can lift their burdens and see them through a victorious Christian life as they view Christ in the Brightness of His Glory.
W-H-Y
There is a very little word
That Christians should not use. And when the temptation comes our way, We need to just refuse.by Arlene R Wright
In the later part of May, 1972, we were visiting
Howard's mother in Brazil, Indiana He was the first of his family
to turn to the Lord. He was 17 years old when he was saved. He
had a hard time for a while, but one by one his family came to
the Lord. His father was saved two years before he died. His mother
is a beautiful Christian today and loves serving the Lord. His
father went to be with His Lord on November 24, 1970.
While we were visiting Howard's mother, my dad called
saying that mother and he were neither one well, and asked if
we could come home and help them awhile. Our last pastorate had
closed, sorry to say, but our furniture was stir there. In June
we moved in with my folks. My sister, Bernie had pulled the heavy
end of the load up to then. She would clean their house, do their
washing and buy their groceries. Since we were there, it made
things a little easier on her. We had both of them in the hospital
at the same time. Dad didn't know Mom was there for several days.
When Dad got home from the hospital, we rented a hospital bed
for him and put an intercom by his bed and one by the davenport
where we slept. All Dad would have to say was "Howard"
and he would be there to help him anyway he could. My main job
was to cook and take care of the dishes and house which I was
so glad to do.
On November the 10th, Dad told me he didn't know
how much more pain he could take. He had cancer of the bone and
I tried to assure him that God would give him the strength and
grace he needed until he took him to his heavenly home. It was
usually he who encouraged me. There was a Hospice group in Mason
City who worked with terminal cancer patients. They would come
out in the afternoon and stay with the folks so we could get away
for a while. Usually I didn't go, but on November the 11th, I
went with Howard. We looked at trailer houses that afternoon and
had a wonderful time. When we got home there was a car in the
driveway. When I opened the back door, Bernie and Don's girl,
Lynn, were standing there and crying. She told me that Dad had
passed away while we were gone. As I went in to see him, I could
hardy believe it. He was such a wonderful father, and I could
never praise God enough for him. He lived such a Godly life and
set such a wonderful example. Of course, this was hard for Mom,
for they had been married for 62 years. God was with her through
the funeral and all. Glen, Alma and their son Glen Eugene, came
to the funeral, as wed as our youngest sister, Colleen.
The funeral was more like a victory celebration.
A good soldier had gone home. The songs were '"What a Day
That Will Be" and "Meet Me There." There was so
much I appreciated about my father's life, especially the way
he earnestly prayed about anything he was going to do. He not
only told me the things I needed to know about the Lord, he lived
it out in his life. He may not have known it, but he taught me
some homiletics. The first thing he did when he had a message
to prepare was pray and be sure he had the message God wanted
him to preach.
We continued to live with Mom and help her. In June of 1984, she was pulling the drapery shut, and it didn't go down like it should. When she went to pus it down straight, she caught her foot in the fan cord and fell, breaking her hip. We had to take her by ambulance to the hospital where she had surgery. Since Howard and I were unable to take care of her, we had to put her in a nursing home. We ready didn't want to do this, but we didn't have a choice. Of course, we went to see her every day. Many times she thought she was going home, and I would have been so glad if she could have. It was very heartbreaking to remind her that she still couldn't walk, and that we were so sorry we couldn't take her home. About the first of August she had a heart attack and we put her back in the hospital. She got some better but died on August 13th with a perforated ulcer. Another brave soldier of the cross went home. God's grace was sufficient for that hour. It wasn't easy when I lost either of my parents, but I know I'll see them again on the heavenly shore. Their prayers are greatly missed, but I will always remember the path they blazed before me. "Until Then" was one of the songs sung at her funeral. Until God chooses to take me home, I want to be busy winning souls for Him. She was such a wonderful Christian mother.
OUR GOD KNOWS
Did you ever ask yourself this question,
"Does anyone really care?" Your heart was almost broken, It was more than you could bear.by Arlene R. W right
Ah, yesterday, I have so many happy memories. Memories
that will live on forever. Well, yes, there were a few bad ones
along the way, but why think of the bad things when I have so
many happy times to remember. Times when my family was all together
and we were having such a good time. Times with many friends when
I was a student at Bethany Nazarene College, now Southern Nazarene
University. Times when Howard and I first met and the way we fell
in love. The list could go on and on.
Today, is a new day, with new challenges. My God
will take care of me today, like He cared for me in my yesterdays.
He is ever ready to meet my needs and with each new day I realize
anew how much I need Him in all of His power. On my own, I can't
make it, but with His strength and power we can make it together.
It I would think of trying it on my own, I'd fall flat on my face.
God didn't plan on me making it alone, but with His able assistance.
Whatever I have to face today, the Lord will be with me to give
me counsel and guidance. Isn't that wonderful to know? "And
ye are complete in Him, which is the head of all principality
and power." Colossians 2:10; We often feel our inadequacy,
but in our Lord we are complete and can conquer the foe, regardless
of what it might be. As I have explained to you the many problems
of my life, I can testify that God helped me to adjust to my problems
and has given me the victory. We need more determination in our
service to the King of kings. We shouldn't allow anything to stop
us.
Tomorrow? That is full of question marks. We don't
know about it or where it may lead us, but if we have committed
them to the Lord, they shouldn't bother us. Although I am not
saying you shouldn't plan ahead for days of retirement, I am saying
we must not worry about it. Everything must be left in God's hands
to be worked out in His timing and in His way. People have said,
"I guess we'll just have to trust the Lord." Isn't that
sad that after all these years following Him you have never learned
to trust in Him? He must be hurt by our lack of trust and faith.
We must learn to trust Him regardless of what comes or "Des.
If you can't put your trust in God, whom can you trust?
We may not know about our tomorrows, but if we have
committed them to the Lord, let Him have them and make them the
way He wants them to be, no questions asked. God is just as able
to deliver us today, as He was to deliver Daniel, the three Hebrew
children or any other of those we read about in God's Holy Word.
God has not changed, but maybe the Christian has. Let's trust
Him come what may, and just see what God can do for us and our
lives.
Tomorrow, I look forward to seeing my Lord face to face. Won't that be wonderful to see the one who died for me and led me all the way through this life? It will be worth anything I may have to go through in this world to be welcomed home at last. Then I can spend the endless ages of eternity praising Him for all He has done for me. It will be then I will fully see and enjoy the Brightness of His Glory. PRAISE HIS NAME.
YESTERDAY, TODAY AND TOMORROW
Dear Lord, When I think about my yesterdays,
I remember all Your wondrous ways. I remember how I lived in sin, Had no joy or peace within.by Arlene R. Wright
You would have thought with all of the problems Arlene
went through she would have been down cast. Such was not the case.
She keep the faith and the victory right down to the last. She went very peacefully into "The
Brightness of His Glory" on November 28, 1995 at 7:40 PM.
Arlene lived what she preached.
She loved the Lord with all of her heart mind, soul and strength.
The last two years of her life were filled with a lot of pain.
She fell in a hospital on February 24, 1993. Five weeks later, after
getting out of that hospital and going to another one, we discovered she had
a compound fractured hip. She never did fully recover from this. She was mostly bedfast. She was in various hospitals some 15 to 17 times after this. This never stopped her from doing what she could. She was an accomplished pianist and would go play for the church services when she could barely motivate. Her last sermon was on October 8, 1995 in the morning worship service. This was a little over a month and one half before she went into "The Brightness of His Glory." She preached on the "I Am's of Jesus!" What a message. During this time it looked like she was on her way up. Her strength was coming back. She had graduated to a four prong cane. She was beginning to feel better. She was able to do more. We were encourage with her progress. Then she got pneumonia and had two more hospital stays before she went to be with the Lord.
Arlene was a real pray warrior She
had a long prayer list she went through every day. She loved God's
Word. She lived to preach and witness for Jesus. She had a real
influence on the people at the various hospitals she went to.
She would tell them how wonderful Jesus was to her and get them
talking about their experiences and cares. She would pray for
them when she was so sick she could hardly talk. The nurses, at
the hospital she was at the most, dearly loved her. She was always
kind to them regardless of how sick she was. They treated her
like a queen.
Arlene's funeral was not a sad occasion.
It was a time of celebration. A time when one of God's children
went to be with Him. God was there in a wonderful way. We were
all blessed with His presence. It was His way of saying, "Arlene
is all right. She is here with Me." Here is the order of
her funeral service.
Welcome Rev. Vince Flippo, pastor of the Mason City
Church of the Nazarene in Mason City, Iowa.
Extinguish One Candle Representing the "Body",
Allow the Candle Representing the "Spirit" to Burn.
Opening Scripture: Some Favorite Passages which were
meaningful to Arlene:
John 14:13 "Let not your heart be troubled:
ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are
many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go
to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for
you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where
I am, there ye may be also."
Romans 8:28 "And we know that all things work
together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called
according to his purpose."
1 Corinthians 15:58 "Therefore, my beloved brethren,
be ye steadfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the
Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in
the Lord."
Psalm 23
Invocational Prayer
Congregational Hymn #85 "Amazing Grace"
Scriptural Passage: Psalm 34
Special: "It Took a Miracle" -- Kay Schumaker
Biography/ Eulogy -- Rev. Glen Moore, Arlene's Brother
Special: Arlene's Favorite: "The Love of God"--
Kay Schumaker
Scriptural Passage: Arlene's Favorite, Psalm 103
Pastoral Message: Dr. Pal L. Wright, District Superintendent
(Joplin District Church of the Nazarene)
Pastoral Prayer: Dr. Pal L. Wright, District Superintendent
(Joplin District Church of the Nazarene)
Scriptural Passage: Psalm 91
Special: How Great Thou Art -- Cathy Christensen
Scripture Meaningful to Arlene:
1 John 4:4 "Ye are of God, little children,
and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you,
than he that is in the world."
1 John 5:4 "For whatsoever is born of God overcometh
the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world,
even our faith."
Transfer of Membership to Glory...to the Church Triumphant
Congregational Hymn 677 "Blest Be the Tie That
Binds"
Closing Prayer
Announcements:
1. The Committal Service will be tomorrow at 10:00 a.m. at Memorial Cemetery
2. All are welcome to the After Service Fellowship
in the downstairs fellowship hall.
This little poem, by one of Arlene's friends sent to her husband, sums up the whole thing very well.
GOD ONLY TAKES THE BEST
God saw that she was getting tired,
And a cure was not to be, So He put His arms around her and whispered "Come with Me"--
Arlene is greatly loved and missed by her husband, family and
friends, but none of us would want her to have to come back to
this world of sin and woe. We look forward to joining her some
day in "The Brightness of His Glory"! In the mean time
I don't think she is to far away from us. She is one of those
who are of the great company of the saints who are cheering us
on to enter into "THE BRIGHTNESS OF HIS GLORY"!
© 1997 Howard E. Wright
Notice
All funds received from the sell of this book is going
toward scholarship funds to help Indian Christian Workers
who are studying for the ministry and to help advance the
Christian ministry in mission projects around the world.
If the Lord should lead you to give a donation to Arlene's
memorial fund you are encouraged to do so.
Just make your check payable to:
"The Arlene Wright Memorial Fund".
Address: Arlene Wright Memorial Fund
407 E Wilson - Yates Center KS 66783-1575.
Thank you very much. Pray for me as I administer this
fund. If there is any mission project you want your
donation to be awarded, please let me know.
My E-mail address: hewright@iolaks.com or you may write
me at the address listed above. Howard Eugene Wright
TABLE OF CONTENTS The Brightness of His Glory