Joy Unspeakable

FACE TO FACE

Virginia Hughes

One snowy day, we were shoveling snow as a family in the back alley of our Indiana home where our car was stuck. Dad’s approach to life was always to get moving, go more and plan less. He was not one to waste time with the deliberation of planning every detail. Shoveling snow before driving? Such an obvious obstacle need not hold us back for long.

The old station wagon had easily started, which was a golden sign on a wintery Saturday morning. Dad backed out of the driveway and started driving up the alley. It was about thirty feet until the tires were spinning in place. Dad groaned, “The very enemy of our souls!” which had us kids giggling. Dad pretending to be at wit’s end was hilarious to us. He knew he had eight energetic children eager to dig a car out of the drifting snow.

We ran to the garage to retrieve snow shovels, buckets, gardening shovels, a scrap of carpet and anything to dig, scoop and throw the snow away from the car’s tires. As we worked, we sang, “I’ve been working on the railroad all the live-long day. . .“ Then Dad started a story which he had in endless supply due to the nature of his “Let’s get going,” work ethic in ministry, and all around colorful life. He often landed in predicaments which he called God’s Plan. “Say, did I ever tell you kids about the time we took that group of ministerial students up into Mountain Province?” Of course, he had, but we listened again to the story set in the Philippines, whose tropical heat would have brought a welcome melting to Indiana’s snow.

PREDICAMENTS AND GOD’S PLANS

The Bible college where my parents were stationed overseas often took small groups of students into areas where a church could possibly be planted. Sometimes a request would arrive at the Bible college or students would suggest interest on behalf of their home provinces. These trips involved driving as far as a road would go, and then hiking up into remote areas and sometimes into the mountains. They carried straw sleeping mats, mosquito nets, water canteens, dried fish, cooked rice, bread and fruits. Generous families along the way would offer a stew or delicious rice cake wrapped in banana leaves. As the students and my parents walked through communities where there had been no prior contact, they would ask, “Are there any among you who will trust our one true Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, and be saved?” Sometimes heads would move side to side with a firm negative; other times, there was a hunger for God’s Word, and the gospel lessons and worship would begin.

WHISTLING IN THE DARK

The village they arrived at was not interested in talking about Jesus or starting a church today. Daylight was slipping away, and the group was told that tomorrow would be a better time to talk. Bernito, an older teen from the village who spoke Ilocano and a little English, led the group to a schoolhouse and gave them bowls of kamotes (sweet potatoes) baked in the fire and rice to eat. They were informed it was against village rules to whistle after sundown. Well, that was hardly an issue since everyone was sleepy. Who would possibly want to whistle now, in the dark, when it was time to sleep?

However, being told not to do something sometimes mightily motivates the doing of that very thing.

A curtain was pulled across the center of the school room to give privacy between the girls’ side and the boys’ side. The students unrolled their straw mats and try as they might, no one fell asleep. It was chilly at night in Mountain Province and they tossed and turned. Thoughts of not being allowed to whistle lodged in their minds. “Why can’t we whistle?” they wondered. While none of them had contemplated whistling up until now, their thoughts persisted, “What’s so bad about whistling after sundown? We are in an unknown place. Whistling right now would be very nice since a person cannot sleep.”

Thoughts about whistling thundered through their minds “We want to whistle, we want to whistle, we want to whistle!” Finally, Nita, one of the students, broke the restless silence by plaintively asking into the dark, “Ah, how can you bear not to whistle?” Everyone began to laugh uproariously. To curtail the waves of laughter growing ever louder, they decided to softly sing.

They sang,

Praise God from whom all blessings flow. Praise him all creatures here below. Praise him above ye heavenly host, praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost, Amen.

Then someone began,

Break thou the Bread of Life, dear Lord to me, as thou didst break the loaves beside the sea. Beyond the sacred page, I seek thee Lord, my spirit pants for thee, o Living Word.

Another voice began,There is power, power, wonder-working power, in the blood of the lamb.

Their voices joined. Forgetting it was night and all thoughts of not being able to whistle were as far from them as sleeping at that point.

SONGS IN THE LATE NIGHT

The last song may have been too vigorous as shortly, Bernito appeared holding up a kerosene lantern. “Why are you making so much noise?” Dad apologized, “So sorry. We couldn’t sleep.” Bernito sighed, “I told you not to whistle.” Dad smiled and shook his head, “We did not whistle. We were only singing.” They stared at each other, and Bernito asked, “But why? Why must you sing?” Dad answered, “We sing to worship and praise God. We cannot sleep so we sing.” Quizzically Bernito asked, “Does God require this late-night singing?” Dad answered, “No, we are sorry to disturb you.” Bernito asked, “You like to sing more than sleep?” Dad shook his head “We would really like to sleep, but we cannot, so, we are singing God’s praises.” Bernito waited. Dad added, “God’s presence is our comfort.”

Their young host sighed and answered, “Please be still now, please,” and he walked away, only to reappear in the lantern’s light. “In the morning, and only in the day, will you teach us this beautiful, loud song you sing? But no noise now, please. Okay? Okay?” Dad assured him the group would be still for the rest of the night. Bernito repeated, “No whistling, no singing, no noise.”

The next morning the group learned that the rule forbidding whistling after sundown stemmed from a superstition that whistling at night attracts wandering ghosts. It believed if you whistle while out walking around, a ghost may follow you home.

DOWN THE MOUNTAINS AND BACK UP

Bernito listened as the group taught the gospel story and all the songs they had sung the night before. Several months later, Bernito traveled down the mountains and found the Bible college, my parents and the Bible school students in the lowlands of Central Luzon.

He worked and studied his way through the ministry program. He married a fellow student, and Bernito and Letitia felt the Lord leading them to go back to Mountain Province to start a church. Bernito hoped to replace the superstitions of his upbringing with the gospel truths of Jesus. The church slowly grew. There were more chapters to the story, but Dad could see we were exhausted by our snow digging efforts. We tried to whistle into the cold.

It turned out to be too much snow and too much alley for us to dig the car out. We needed more help. Dad did not hesitate over the next step, which was to call a towing company. The tow truck driver arrived and pulled the station wagon out to the street. Dad paid him and asked if he could come in for coffee and home baked pie. Mom was usually pulling freshly baked pies out of the oven on Saturday mornings.

As Ron and Dad talked, Ron was asked where he planned to spend eternity and promptly invited to church and dinner at our house after church the next day. “Bring the whole family!” Dad invited, and with a smile, promised to deliver a top-notch sermon, Lord willing. And what he didn’t deliver in the sermon, he promised Mom would make up for with the Sunday roast, mashed potatoes and all the trimmings. There would be more pie too, which brought a smile. Going forward, Dad considered the tow truck driver a friend, he prayed for Ron’s safety and his soul. He added him and his family to the “Potential Converts - Prayer & Visit” list.

Gospel seeds may be planted near and far whether staying in or venturing out. Because though we haven’t seen Jesus, we love him; even though we haven’t seen him, we believe in him. Knowing this fills us with joy unspeakable and full of glory that we must share.

Even on a cold, snowy day, seeds may be planted, but are best planted with our love and thanksgiving.

Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls. (1 Peter 1:8-9)

About the Author | Virginia Hughes

Virginia brings her creative gifts not only to her writing and storytelling, but also to her home and ministries. She and her husband, Roger, have three adult daughters and are members of College Church.