Trout Republic

During World War II, Ernie Pyle, a famous war correspondent, traveled to and from the battlefields to report what was happening. He was quite famous and won a Pulitzer Prize before losing his life during the battle for Okinawa in the Pacific theater.

One of the most famous quotes attributed to him is “there are no atheists in a foxhole,” which means that when a person is under stress of war they tend to get up front and personal with God. Even the most hardened of men and women turn to a higher power for comfort and help.

Now personally I do not care what flavor — or no flavor — religion you may observe but it's hard for me to look around this world and Universe and conclude there is no God. So Ol’ Dutch follows Him along to the best of my ability and, so far, it's been a great ride.

There is not one of us who has not tried to make a deal with God if faced with a horrible circumstance. Sometimes things are so pressing that we even promise to go to Africa and convert the native people there if only He will get us out of this scrape we have found ourselves in.

And I have to admit somewhat reluctantly that I too have made a few “battlefield” promises if only God will just this once” rescue my foolish self. Of late, though, I have had quite a different thing going on with the Big Guy in the sky. And it all involves being in a bind, of course, as needing Him becomes more pressing in a situation we cannot control.

This all started some years ago when one of my cows had a calf who would not or could not nurse. Now to you that may not be an emergency but Ol’ Dutch has a tender heart and it looked bleak. I remember sitting on a bucket in the dark after many attempts to put the calf on a spigot and finally just gave up. In that “foxhole” when all hope was gone, I reached out to God and prayed “if you don't help this little calf she is gonna die.” And in that moment the calf took one look at me and hooked up on her momma for that life-saving milk.

Shortly after that I lost something in the barn. I looked high and low and finally in a moment of desperation I asked for heavenly help once again and I swear that it appeared in plain sight right in front of me the next time I glanced down.

You may again ask if there is a moral to this story and I am so glad you did so I can finish this column on time. So I was telling these experiences to the granddaughters and they listened intently and of course from the mouth of babes comes great wisdom if we only take the time to hear.

Grand #1 in her no nonsense, plain spoken and matter of fact manner simply said “Grandpa, you should have prayed first.” It was like a lightbulb suddenly turned on in my old noggin and I got to thinking that maybe, just maybe, God is interested in even the smallest things we need so I began to test Him on that premise.

Every time I “lost” something I would pray and just like clockwork it would appear and I began to get such confidence that I began to “pray first” even before I looked. And so far it's working perfectly unless Ol’ Dutch lets himself get in a tizzy and forgets to pray. At that point I have to call in Miss Trixie and, while not as good as God, nor as patient, she finds what I am missing.

So, when you can't find that nut or bolt, pliers or saw, spatula or casserole pan, say a little prayer and you will find that you suddenly remember where you put it. All except the casserole dish which Old Mrs Mcillicuddy stole from the last church social.

Kevin Kirkpatrick and his Yorkie, Cooper, fish, hunt, ATV or hike daily. His email is [email protected]. Additional news can be found at www.troutrepublic.com.