DIVINE PROVIDENCE

BY: BARNEY SHEPHERD

I WAS A SMALL BOY WHEN THE GREAT DEPRESSION TIGHTENED ITS GRIP AND SQUEEZED THE ECONOMIC BREATH OUT OF A VIBRANT AND PROSPEROUS NATION.  THESE WERE THE HARDEST OF TIMES.  WE WERE FORTUNATE SINCE MY FATHER OWNED A PARCEL OF GOOD LAND AND WE COULD GROW MOST OF THE FOOD OUR FAMILY NEEDED.  OTHERS DID NOT FARE NEARLY AS WELL.  THERE WAS NO WORK TO BE HAD WHERE AN ABLE BODIED MAN COULD EARN MONEY.  PEOPLE WERE DESPERATE!

 HARD TIMES TEND TO BRING OUT THE WORST AND THE BEST IN PEOPLE.  HINDSIGHT TENDS TO CLEAR THING UP A BIT.  ANYWAY, IT SEEMS TO ME THAT IT WAS THE GREAT DEPRESSION RATHER THAN DIVINE INSPIRATION THAT CALLED A LOT OF SILVER TONGUED CON MEN TO PURCHASE A BIBLE AND SPREAD THE GOOD NEWS. A GOOD HELL FIRE AND DAMNATION SERMON COULD BRING IN A HAT FULL OF COINS AT LOVE OFFERING TIME.  THEY ALL SEEMED TO PROSPER!

THE REVEREND CLAUDE HAINES JONES WAS THE BEST!  I GUESS THE BEST WAY TO DESCRIBE THE REVEREND CLAUDE IS TO SAY THAT HE WAS “CLINTONESQUE”!  ANYWAY, THE PREVIOUS YEAR HE HAD MADE A SOJOURN TO A NEIGHBORING COMMUNITY CALLED “THE RIPSHIN’ AND HAD MADE OUT HANDSOMELY – MONEYWISE, THAT IS.  IT WAS LATE SUMMER OR, YOU MIGHT SAY, EARLY FALL WHEN THE REVEREND CLAUDE SHOWED UP ASTRIDE THE PRETTIEST TENNESSEE WALKER MARE I EVER LAID EYES ON.  HE WAS BOUND AND DETERMINED TO HOLD A REVIVAL MEETING AT THE MOUNTAIN VIEW BAPTIST CHURCH JUST OVER THE HILL FROM OUR HOUSE IN A COMMUNITY CALLED “THE FLATWOODS.” MY DADDY AND MY UNCLE SMITH TOLD HIM THAT IT WAS THE WRONG TIME OF YEAR TO HOLD A REVIVAL MEETING – THAT ALL THE CROPS HAD TO BE HARVESTED AND PEOPLE NEEDED REST AFTER WORKING IN THE FIELDS ALL DAY.  THAT DIDN’T PHASE THE REVEREND ONE LITTLE BIT, NO SIRREE, GOD HAD CALLED HIM AND HE WAS GOING TO HOLD A REVIVAL!

REVIVAL MEETINGS USUALLY LASTED EIGHT DAYS – SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH THE FOLLOWING SUNDAY NIGHT… REVEREND CLAUDE WAS NOW INTO HIS THIRD WEEK!  PEOPLE WALKED FOR MILES TO HEAR HIM PREACH.  HE WOULD GET SO CARRIED AWAY THAT HE WOULD PREACH ‘TIL MIDNIGHT SOMETIMES.  THE PEOPLE WERE SPELLBOUND, THE CROPS WERE NEGLECTED IN THE FIELDS AND THE FROST WOULD SOON BE ON THE PUMPLINS!  MY DADDY AND MY UNCLE SMITH WERE ALARMED.

ON TUESDAY NIGHT OF THE THIRD WEEK THE REVEREND CLAUDE HAD AN ALTAR CALL AND I HAD SNEAKED OUT THE DOOR AND WALKED BEHIND THE CHURCH HOUSE TO GO TO THE OUTHOUSE.  I HEARD A NOISE, LOOKED UP AND A BOY BY THE NAME OF REGGIE CAMPBELL WAS LYING ON A BIG LIMB OF AN OAK TREE RIGHT OVER THE STOVE PIPE PROTRUDING THROUGH THE ROOF. AT THIS TIME OF THE YEAR IT GOT FAIRLY COLD AND THEY WOULD FIRE UP THE WOOD BURNING HEATER EACH NIGHT, JUST TO TAKE THE CHILL OFF! WHEN I GOT BACK TO THE FRONT OF THE CHURCH PEOPLE WERE SCRAMBLING TO GET OUTSIDE.  THE BUSILDING WAS FULL OF SMOKE AND PEOPLE WERE COUGHING THEIR HEADS OFF. THEY DIDN’T EVEN HAVE A CLOSING HYMN THAT NIGHT.  THE NEXT NIGHT I WATCHED THAT STOVE AND THE MINUTE IT STARTED TO SMOKE I RAN OUT AND SURE ENOUGH, REGGIE WAS STRETCHED OUT ON THAT LIMB.  YOU COULD BARELY SEE HIM.  THEY HAD CHECKED THE STOVE AND COULDN’T FIGURE OUT WHY IT SMOKED SO MUCH.  WHEN IT HAPPENED AGAIN THURSDAY NIGHT THE REVERNED CLAUDE STOOD ON THE FRONT PORCH OF THE CHURCH, CHALKED IT UP TO DIVINE PROVIDENCE AND WITH A SHORT PRAYER CLOSED THAT REVIVAL MEETING!

REGGIE WOULD NEVER ADMIT IT BUT I FIGURED THAT HE HAD TAKEN A BIG WAD OF LEAVES AND CRAMMED THEM IN THE TOP OF THE STOVE PIPE.  WHEN THE CHURCH WAS FILLED WITH SMOKE HE PUNCHED THEM LOOSE WITH A STICK AND THEY FELL DOWN THE STACK INTO THE STOVE AND BURNED UP.

THE NEXT DAY AFTER THE REVIVAL MEETING CLOSED REGGIE PAID CASH FOR A WHOLE CARTON OF READY ROLL CIGARETTES.  MY DADDY AND MY UNCLE SMITH WERE THERE AT THE STORE.

Divine providence can sometimes
Be found
Out on a limb or on the ground
Singing a song,
Righting a wrong