Miracles Galore
I never cease to be amazed at the miracles around me when I take the time to pay attention.
My husband starts worrying about the expense of hay for horses in July. Is it time to give up horses? What concerns him concerns me, of course. Because we are married and bound together, his stuff spills over on me and vice-versa.
But here we are in August, and a hay farmer calls. He offers Jimmy the small bales of hay he left behind in a field. We look at each other amazed. Thank you, Jesus.
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I enjoy writing poetry and prose, but I’m not that big on selling what I write. Don’t get me wrong. I enjoy meeting the people and talking about what I’ve written, but when the goal is to sell anything, well, I struggle with it. This is true even when it’s a great story or a prize poem.
Three places in Norfork are now selling Going Home: A Memoir by Pat Durmon with Lee Farrier. Amazing. The storyteller is Lee R. Farrier, who calls himself the son of Norfork, the town where he grew up. He lived the story, but he asked me if I’d write it for him. When the book was finished, he wanted no money from the sale of the book, I wanted no money from it, nor did our editor, Alathea Daniels, who helped us get the book into form. We three agreed that the proceeds would help someone in the Norfork Schools. That happened this year. The Lee R. Farrier Scholarship was established at Norfork High School. The first scholarship was awarded to a senior in May 2023. I think we are happily amazed.
This book has historical photos and is an uplifting story. And yet, I am still surprised that it’s how I spent my time during the pandemic. It occurs to me now that maybe God gave me the task of writing this manuscript to keep me grounded during a rough patch of time. Amazing thought, but very possible.
Eddie Mae Alexander of Norfork is the woman in the photo. She bought four copies of the book! A friend of ours was eating at the Norfork Cafe, recognized what Ms. Eddie Mae was carrying, struck up a conversation, and snapped the photo. Then she sent the photo to me. I was amazed. Still am. Truly, Eddie Mae Alexander loves this town, too.
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Another concern has been my husband’s knees. They have hurt him for months. We both thought he might be ready for surgery. But this week, he has been encouraged by a couple of friends to consider alternatives to surgery, first. Now he is trying knee sleeves and has an appointment for therapy. An injection is another possibility. Oh my! Hopeful thoughts. My husband is in the midst of deciding and trying options. I wonder if this might be a reprieve. We both believe in miracles. We don’t know what’s next, but we trust in God, and it already feels amazing.
Miracles are everywhere in the mountains and flatlands, but when they hit you directly, you know that you have a big God and that He works miracles.
Keep believing God loves you. Keep asking for what you need.
God bless,
Pat Durmon
Eddie Mae Alexander at Norfork Cafe, Norfork, Arkansas. She once lived less than a block from the Farrier family. She's carrying the books she'd bought earlier that morning - Going Home: A Memoir by Pat Durmon with Lee R. Farrier. Photographed by Jane Jo Barnett, February 4, 2023.
Poetry Books by Pat Durmon
Prose by Pat Durmon
The story of Lee R. Farrier from Norfork, Arkansas, is Pat's first book of prose and a tribute to Lee, the town of Norfork, and its people. All profits from sales go toward a scholarship at Norfork High School.
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