Emporia

 As I rested on the rung of my ladder in the master bathroom in my new Wyoming home, I answered my ringing phone; there amidst the hustle and bustle of preparing my purchased home for occupation.  Recognizing I’d need to return to Fontana, California in a day or so, I had been hurrying with the painting of the inside of the home.  On the second rung of that ladder, I heard the familiar voice of my third son.  Hi, Bret!  Hoping his call was not one of distress, I acknowledged his call and waited to hear his purpose.  He delighted me with his announcement that he’d been called into the Bishopric of his ward and could I come to Emporia, Kansas and ordain him to be a High Priest.  Recognizing that all my plans to return to California amidst moving preparations would have to wait; I immediately responded that I’d be there – the coming weekend only a few days away!  Recognizing that callings seldom allowed for intervening time, I realized I’d have to leave from Boulder, Wyoming and travel the 960 miles to Bret’s the following day.  The 14 hours of travel would be an opportunity to see the eastern bottom of my new state- as well as the states of Colorado and Kansas.

 I relished the blessing of being called upon to ordain my righteous son and his willingness to call upon his father.  I was blessed beyond measure!  Even greater was having a son who had lived his life in a manner that the Lord would call upon him to engage such righteous leadership.

I finished up the master bathroom that day and prepared to leave the next morning for Emporia.  Leaving early in the morning (allowing two entire days of travel (in order to arrive in time for Sunday)), I drove to Rock Springs, Wyoming and entered the 80 freeway; heading east for Cheyenne.  As the sun arose, I squinted at the barren lands that enveloped the car as I drove eastward.  Having lived the past  35+ years in Los Angeles suburbia, I was significantly struck by the emptiness of my new state and the long distances between towns dotting the freeway.

As twilight encompassed the countryside, I approached Cheyenne and turned toward Fort Collins, Colorado prior to encountering Cheyenne.  In the darkness of early evening, I traversed an ancillary road into the welcoming lights of Fort Collins.   Inasmuch as I’d had significant dealings with the Fort Collings division of Hewlett Packard as a young man, I drove about this handsome community before turning into a roadside motel for a night’s rest from driving.  I arose early the next day and continued my travel into the Denver area and then eastward through the equally barren lands of east Colorado and western Kansas.  Inasmuch as I’d had very little experience with the flatness of this region, I was impressed by my inability to see beyond the horizon that greeted me in all directions.  I drove and drove until I’d reached Salina, Kansas.  I knew that I did not have a suit jacket amongst my Church attire and knew that I’d need to acquire one that evening because the ordination and setting apart would occur the next morning.  So, I stopped at a JC Penny in Salina and there rushed a delightful salesgirl through the purchase of a blue blazer to accommodate my needs the following day.  Inasmuch as night had already fallen, Bret directed me (via phone) to drive due South to McPherson where I was to take a left turn and drive due East along a country road toward Emporia.

As I approached Emporia, I made a few turns and found myself at Bret’s door on Deerbrook Lane.  It was late and I was concerned that I might wake the children. To my delight and surprise, the children had stayed up to greet me.  Inasmuch as most of Bret’s children had experienced only short visits with me while living in California, I was genuinely thrilled that they remembered me and seemed to enjoy my arrival at their home.  We enjoyed the revelry of excited talk and then they were all escorted to their beds due to the late hour.  Bret explained that I would be taking Poppy’s bed that evening and that Poppy had made  other arrangements.  I was then shown my room and left to prepare for sleep.  Inasmuch as I was sleeping in a foreign bed in a foreign home, I wondered if I’d be able to sleep.  Nevertheless, I dawned my sleeping clothes and lay down in the double bed.  Soon, I was fast asleep.

Around 4 o’clock the next morning, I was stirred to hear a youngster enter the room.  I gently called out to the child and discovered my delightful granddaughter, Poppy, climbing into the bed with me.  I told her it was alright to sleep in her own bed and pulled the covers back for her to enter.  She climbed under the covers and rolled onto her side with her head on my arm.  I felt her long hair drape down and heard her breathing settle into a soft rhythm.  I thought to myself that few grandfathers got to receive such a blessing from their granddaughters; and I savored the moments as I listened to her sleep.  About a half an hour later the familiar patter of small feet announced Hyrum’s entrance.  He padded along the bed opposite Poppy and I pulled back the covers on that side of the bed.  He accepted the invitation and climbed in beside me.  I was now blessed with two grandchildren that embraced my presence with their accommodating sleep; and the aura that hung over the bed blessed me with the innocent love of these two precious souls beside me.  Again, I marveled at the spirit that swathed our circumstance in the wee hours of that morning in Kansas.  Another half-hour and Liam joined us.  Shortly thereafter Ellett merged with our blessed ambiance and we all enjoyed the now enlightening hours of that Sunday Morning.  Though undetected by these wonderful grandchildren and their loving encirclement of their grandfather, my heart swelled further and further.  Eventually the celebration was dissolved; and we all engaged the activities of that Sunday morning as we prepared for their father’s call into ward leadership.

While attending sacrament meeting, I was pleasantly surprised to find my lap in short supply for the grandchildren wanting to experience the enclosure of their grandfather’s arms about them.  I’d had very few opportunities to hug my grandchildren and chose this opportunity to embrace their delightful souls.  Upon Bret’s sustaining as Bishopric Counselor and his subsequent accepting talk, we closed the sacrament meeting proceedings.  I was then later ushered into the room where Bret was to be ordained and set apart.

Bret introduced me to those attending and we then ordained him to be a High Priest unto the Lord.  I found such an experience to be sublimely enrapturing and rejoiced silently in my son’s recognition as a genuinely righteous person. The bishop then invited me to join their Priesthood circle as Bret was set apart in his calling.  Such an honor enveloped me in the righteous comradery of Priesthood service, and I found such honor to humble me in a small room in Kansas.

Unfortunately, relocation demands required that I drive home the following day through Oklahoma, New Mexico and Arizona to my awaiting relocation experience in California.  The encompassing spirit of Bret’s achievement; coupled with my inspiring experience with my grandchildren would accompany me in my car.