Vol.XII No.II Pg.8
April 1975

Stuff About Things

Robert F. Turner

I have just returned from a meeting on the west Texas plains, and if I dont kid the Texacans about something they will think I am unfriendly. If I fail to convince them I really am kidding, they become unfriendly. One thing about the high plains folk, they may not have trees, grass, running creeks or quiet peaceful days — but they have pride in their country.

They like to get up early — get going — and when I complained that it was dark and the moon was still high, they told me a dust storm was in progress and I was looking at the sun. They were just joking. When the storm came it got so dark we couldnt see the sun. I tried to take a shower but had to have mud chains to get out of the bath room. The sand came through closed doors, got into everything. It got into a closed suit-case, even into the refrigerator — into the eggs in the refrigerator. Prairie dogs sometime dig twenty feet up into the sand storm trying to get out of their hole. Now I suppose Ill get a letter accusing me of exaggeration. O.K., Ill cut that to ten feet.

Where else (in the U.S.) are meeting announcements sent to brethren 300 miles away—and they come. Distance is close out there (like northern dry cold is warm, even if it is cold). One fellow said he liked that country because it afforded such good fishing, 400 miles in any direction.

Dont think I am being unkind. I am just repeating stories they told on themselves. The crowning insult came to me — when I learned several families had moved there from Burnet.

But I suspect that much of the enthusiasm, drive, and will-to-win that characterizes the plains people come from their habit of overcoming hard knocks. Maybe the country made that type of people — or maybe that type is the kind that tackles such country. God welded the descendents of Abraham into a great nation through hardships and bondage — but he chose a man of great faith for their beginning. When we shy away from great challenge we may show an inner weakness, and avoid the very thing that could help us.

Chastening for righteousness sake will benefit saints who are exercised thereby (Heb. 12:). Lift up the hands which hang down is very good advice in any walk of life. We salute west Texans, and all others who allow hard knocks to boot them toward success.