ELMER'S POST

I want to thank you all for your thoughts and prayers.  You all are so kind and I appreciate it.  As a Minister, my life changes in some ways and yet, in others it stays the same.

Anna got on me as I had promised Marilyn a post on here, but I didn't get it done.  Anna said church work wasn't holding me, farm work wasn't holding me up, my siding job wasn't keeping me up, so get to it.  Here I am.

Bishop Eli was having a meeting of the Ministers, Deacon and himself at our house.  I had to go to the restroom and when I came back, Eli tells me I better stay our of the basement.  I questioned him and he asked me if I couldn't hear the noise coming from the basement.  When everyone was quiet, I could hear the noise that sounded like something was exploding in our basement.  I went for the basement door and Eli said he knew what was going on down there and I didn't want to see it.  My thought came where are the ladies?  Eli said in the greenhouse and he didn't know how I was going to tell Anna what was going on.

Well I didn't know how I was going to tell Anna if I didn't know what was going on.  Eli asked who gave us gifts when I got chosen Minister?  Now that's hard to remember.  When I and the other Ministers were chosen a lot of people gave us gifts.  Most of it food: Some gave us handmade items the ladies had made, but a lot of food. We got pies, cakes, casseroles, meat and canning goods.  When I said canning goods Eli said to stop there.  Who gave us canned goods?  I said I don't remember.  Anna has a record of who gave us what, but I don't remember.  Eli said get Anna.

So out I go to the greenhouse and get Anna.  She couldn't understand what Eli wanted to know who gave us what but came into the house, and got the list.  Elmer asked who gave us the canned tomatoes.  Anna gave the name.  Eli said they are exploding in your basement. I look at Anna.  Anna looks at me.  We look at Eli - in shock.

Finally I open the door and there is tomato sauce, all over the basement and the glass jars are still going off.  When the blowing finally stopped Eli and I went down into the basement - there was glass and sauce all over  Anna's jars, the ceiling, the floor, all the tools I have in the basement, etc.  When Anna saw, I thought she was growing to cry.  But Emma took over.

She said us men get down there to get all the glass in boxes and get them out of the basement.  Then told us to wash the floor and the bottoms of our shoes so we didn't get it all over the floors.  Then the ladies took over.  They started by every item that lady had donated and put it in  the trash.  Then they took all the jars off the shelves.  While the men are helping me clean my tools, some of the ladies are washing the shelves and jars - making sure the labels are on the jars.  Then the ladies put everything back on the shelves again.

It took us a couple of hours, but the basement was spotless when we got done.  After a cup of coffee and piece of pie, the others started thinking.  Maybe the others better get home and check their basements.  Eli said if anything happened in their basement, call, we would all come over.  Nothing did.  They threw out what this particular church member had given them.

This particular church member is up in years.  When Emma noticed the date on the jars, they were back a couple of years.  Also, she is not the best canning lady as she was back in younger days.  Eli asked us not to mention  this to her.  If she asks how we liked them, tell her we really enjoyed them which in a weird kind of way, we did.  She gave these to us - probably the only she had to donate.

Anna and Emma got talking and said they would invite her over to one of our houses to help the canning.  They will also see that she has enough to take home to last her all winter, plus some.  Eli and I are trying to figure out a way to go to her house to check out her basement.  Like Eli said, we could use a lot of excuses to go to her house, but not for the going in the basement.  Anna said when they get  this years canning they will take the jars to her house, they will check the basement. 

Well that happening at our house sure cut Eli's meeting short.

Trust God's Wisdom,
Elmer