I Appreciate Your Understanding

Guthrie Okla.

920 W. Mansur Ave

Sept. 23, 1943

Dear Carrie,

Greetings in Jesus’ dear name.

This finds me still saved sanctified and happy in the Lord.  Truly we have something to be happy over.  I am happy and thankful because I have found the Savior.  He doesn’t only save us but we find he keeps us saved each day of our life as we continue to yield over our self unto God.  I am glad that we can know that God is able and will help us to hold-out faithfully until the end.  I was thinking and meditating the other day about the goodness of God and how precious it was to really have God in our hearts and to know that some day we can meet God and all his saints face to face and live with them for-ever.  Then the thought came to me “yes but it will really mean something to stand all the trials and test that comes our way while in this life.  Your trial may be so hard that you will think that you can not bear them and then you will probably give up.”  That sounds pretty much like the devil, doesn’t it?  Then after this I thought about other faithful ones that have stood true, and I also thought about how that God has promised in his word not to let more come our way than we are able to bear.  This last thought brought peace joy and contentment to my heart.  Truly God will help each one of us to win that crown of ever-lasting life if we will just keep a perfect heart toward him which I intend to do by his help.

With much pleasure and gladness I received another letter from my most dearest and only girl friend yesterday, which left a real inspiration in my heart.  I can truthfully say that every letter that I have received from you has been a real heavenly pleasure to me.  It seems that they are getting better.  I can not express in words of the good that I received from your last letter.  Truly it was an encouragement to me.  I also received that pretty picture of you which I am very glad to get.  I thank it is real good.  I can look at it and it brings to my memory that heavenly girl that I was with some up at Langdon.  I thank you very much for it.

We have been pretty busy here at the Lord’s print shop this week.  We have been working on the Faith and Victory most of the time.  We finished it to day.  It is ready for mailing now.

You spoke in your letter about some more girls coming back to Neosho which added more to your number there.  Well we also have some more people added to the office force here.  Bro. Messel Williamson from La. arrived here about noon yesterday.  He is the boy that I have been telling you was coming up here.  He is saved and sanctified, and a very precious young Bro. And as you already know (I suppose) Sis. Rosselle came in last night.  She helped us some with the paper today.   I don’t know how long she will be here.

Now about those glass girls that you mentioned in your last letter.  No I really don’t know them by that name.  Although I do remember seeing some girls up there at the camp meeting, which some one told me that they were Sisters.  But I don’t know what their names were.  The ones that I am thinking about had red hair and one of them were crippled in-so-much that she couldn’t walk real well.  Is this the ones that you were writing about?

Carrie I am sure you don’t know how I appreciate your views concerning me and my problems.  I am glad that you under-stand about them.  It seems from reading your letter that you understand almost perfectly about what I write you even if I can’t explain my self very well.

I appreciate very much the way you consider things.  I am glad that we can just set down and write the truth to each other and then under-stand each other when we read each other’s letter.

The thing that makes it seem so good for us to under stand each other, is that we are both trying to please the good Lord in every thing we do and then to think that we both realize this. I can truthfully say that I have found that I can please the Lord, or in other words follow his leadings and then you still seem to under-stand and realize that I am doing the right thing.  Truly I am thankful for this.

I think it is a precious thing for young people to be where they can just commit all things unto the hands of God and let him work their problems out for them.  I know God knows but for each one of us and he will do the best for us if we will let him.

When God leads us a certain way, and then when we follow his leadings we find that he is always near to help us in time of need, and to if we know that we have obeyed the Lord in all things we can with confidence ask him to help us when we are being tried.  Other wise (as you have said) we would be in trouble and we wouldn’t feel so bold to come to God and ask for help.

I will admit that this waiting has been more or less a trial to me.  But I can truthfully say that I have not murmured nor complained a gainst the Good Lord.  I have only asked him to give me patience grace and wisdom to know how to do his will.

I realize that I am obeying the Lord to the best of my knowledge, and when we do that we can know that that scripture is for our comfort which says “for we know that all things work to-gether for good to them that love the Lord and them who are called according to his purpose.”

I am thankful that the good Lord is teaching me lessons.  He knows what is best for us.

Well Carrie I am still waiting on the Lord to direct my step concerning me leaving here and about what we have been talking or writing about.  Since we have as much help as we do here I don’t see where I will be needed very much here now.  Although I still want the Lord to make his will plain to me before I leave.

Since I have been back from the Langdon camp-meeting I have felt a little more like that God was wanting me to preach than I did part of the time I was up there.  I have made an effort to preach down here at the chapel the last two Sun. nights.  I felt clear that I obeyed the Lord by doing so.

You see Willie hasn’t been here for the last week or two and so Bro. Pruitt told me to move out if the Lord gave me a message.  I didn’t move out just to please Bro. Pruitt.  But I waited until I felt sure that it was God’s will.  Although I will say it would have been hard for me to get up there if Bro. Pruitt hadn’t said what he didn’t.  I only got up to obey the Lord and to deliver my soul.  The Lord helped me enough to keep me from being discouraged.  I am thankful for this I only pray that God will lead me in the ways that my soul will prosper the most and the way that I can do the most for him, what ever it may be.

Carrie I still feel more clear that the Lord is leading us to unite out efforts to-gether for him.  Although I realize that we need some more leadings on other lines before we could consider of really going into the act.  And I am just glad for both of us to seek the Lord for his ways and only move as he moves.

I am glad that I have real confidence in you that you are real sincere about the matter and want to do as the Lord leads you.  I am thankful for the answer you gave me concerning how you felt a bout the leadings of the Lord on the matter.  I could not ask you to do any different.  Neither do I want you to do different.

Well it is getting late so I had better close for this time.  I think every one else here are in bed a sleep.  But before I close I have another thing or two I want to say.

First I still hope to come up to Neosho some time I hope before too long to see you although I don’t know just when.  Another thing is a bout the picture business.  I was glad to hear about the compliment.  I am glad your Mother thought that you were having fellowship with some one that looked nice to her.  Now I want to say that I also heard a compliment on you too.  I showed your Picture to a certain one and they said that you looked like a sweetly saved girl.  I heartily a greed with them.

I must say Good bye for this time to the girl that brightens my hopes.  (as ever Mc)

(click to enlarge) sorry they are backwards.