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| Elizabeth Annie West Frye 1912 - 1993 |
With Halloween approaching soon,
this seems like a fitting experience to share from my Grandma Frye because it
mentions ghosts and goblins. In reality, this isn't about Halloween, but rather
it is one of her autobiographical records entitled "My Faith in Prayers."
I don't know exactly when this was written, but I enjoyed my Grandma Frye's words
and her faith. It has helped strengthen my faith in prayer and how it can be a
source of comfort and guidance in times of need. Below are her words:
MY FAITH IN PRAYERS
Elizabeth W. Frye
From
the time I was a young girl, I have been a great believer in prayer. I well
remember to this day the times when I would be visiting our neighbor girls and
would stay until dusk. Then I would have the quarter mile walk home and the
fear of goblins or ghosts or other unknown things, and I would race toward home
as fast as my legs would carry me, and always with a prayer in my heart that I
would be safe from any harm. It was bad enough to have to face my parents after
I arrived home and to be reprimanded for being so late in getting home. But my
fear of goblins was even greater.
I
attended college at the University of Wyoming during the depression years from
1929 to 1933. God and his angels were probably overworked listening to all my
prayers. I graduated in the spring of 1933 and obtained a teaching job in a
rural school up in the mountains of Wyoming near Laramie. There was a family
with two young daughters. The man and his wife were homesteading on some land
up in the mountains at an elevation of about 7,500 ft.
I
was warned about the loneliness I would experience up in the mountains, and
about all the disadvantages of living there. I would have about a two-mile walk
from a ranch at the foot of the mountain up to the small frame home of the
homesteaders. If and when I wanted to go to Laramie for food and other necessities,
I would have to walk about two miles down the hill to the neighbors and ride to
town with them. After returning back to their ranch, I would visit with them as
long as I dared, before the sun went down.
In
order to find the school or the home, I would have to walk on a straight course
up the mountain to the plateau. I had to watch for a ridge of rocks about a
foot high, and a quarter mile long, over to my right. That was my only guide to
show I was on course. After I passed the ridge of rocks, I was on my own and
had to go by feel in regard to the distance travelled. There was absolutely
nothing to use as a guide after that.
One
evening after returning from my trip to Laramie, I stayed a little later than I
should have, visiting with the ranchers. It was almost dusk when I started back
to my place of abode on the plateau. While I had been gone to town, there had
been a light snowfall on the mountain. I watched for the ridge of rocks but
couldn't see it. I was afraid it was covered with snow. I felt I had gone far
enough to see it. Now what was I going to do? The darkness seemed to be coming
on earlier than usual, and here I had just started out. I knew I needed help,
and fast. I felt I had often leaned too heavily on the Lord and hated to turn
to Him now when it was my own fault because I had started home too late. I felt
I must go on, but I did have a prayer in my heart. I looked again to my right
and saw something darker than the rest of the snow. It was the ridge of rocks,
peaking out of the snow and barely visible! I must hurry on, as darkness comes
on swiftly in the mountains.
My
footsteps quickened, even though I was going uphill all the way. Now I had no
guideposts along the way—only my sense of feeling for distance travelled. I
didn't trust it now but hurried on. When I felt I had walked far enough to see
the schoolhouse, I saw nothing but a white expanse clear over to the horizon.
The prayer in my heart now became audible, and I prayed fervently that I would
find the schoolhouse. But it was painted white, and the snow was white! Should
I go back to the ranch or should I go on? The people at the ranch had probably
gone to bed by now, and there would be no light to guide me. No, I must go on.
There were no other homes for miles around. I was a lone traveler, and God
would have to be my pilot if I made it.
Again,
I prayed fervently, knowing that God does hear and answer our prayers. He had
proven Himself in the past. But my prayers were now in the form of pleading.
But I did have faith. Again,
I scanned the horizon and the terrain all around. Off in the distance I saw
something even whiter than snow, but it was so far away. It was on the horizon.
Could I walk that long a distance to see what it was?
In
the past, I had many prayers answered as a child. Would God answer them again
if I pleaded? Then
the scripture came to my mind that said, "Trust in the Lord with all thine
heart. In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct thy path."
(Proverbs 3:5,6). Even though the very white object on the horizon seemed far
away, I felt I should walk toward it. It seemed so far at
first, but after my prayer it seemed to move closer. It wasn't long until I was
able to distinguish the form of a little white schoolhouse which seemed to move
closer to me, and since then I have always called it "The blessed little
white school-house."