March 16, 1947 - Dear Dad

Sunday Night
16 March, 1947
Dear Dad,

“Faithful is the saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners of whom I am chief.” 1st Timothy 1:15

How well I remember that day, when after trying and being defeated in every good thing that I might try by the evil desires of my own heart, when the Lord Jesus smiled upon me and acknowledged Him!

Now, as I have started school, I’ve found that the Lord can give me every power that man can have. I’ve found a true peace and joy in this life. Life isn’t a spree , it is only a stopping place to determine where we will spend eternity.
But the most wonderful story of love that was ever shown was when Jesus left his mansions of Gold and Splendor on high to come down and live as a plain ordinary person, not only showing how to live but dying and suffering the most cruel murder there ever was, Crucified on the Cross. I’m glad there was a Jesus or I might still be wandering out there lost.

A lot of the fellows that I meet and talk with during the day either don’t believe in God at all, can’t see this idea of giving it all to Him, or think that they are hiding something from the eye that no man could hide from. This school is a proof that there is a God to me and that His guidance and the acknowledgment of Him is needed.

We have a lot of flying planes on airways where the pilot is flying in the fog and he cannot see any direction about Him. But in that air there is a beam which is sent out by radio. Someone has to be at the end of that beam to assure that it goes out correctly. Say that we have a pilot and he decides to take his own route when he can’t see stars or two feet ahead of him. He may think he sees a lot of glimmering things from which he can flit to and from and get bearing or a mark off of, but each time that glimmer fades quickly if not immediately away and the further he gets from the beam, the most definitely lost he is. Soon he runs out of fuel and crashes into unknown ground and is gone.

God is the beam of our lives. His direction is the best for our lives. In our life we see a lot of things out in the world that look pretty good. Many of us go out and leave the beam, find the thing is not cracked up to what it’s out to be, see that the beam is quite a ways behind us, and instead of returning let excuse and desire turn us from what we know is right. God is merciful and sends His beam out after us though and tries to help us in. That ever loving God will try until we vex Him and he miserably casts us into the Lake of Fire to torment for eternity.

What have we to lose? We have all to gain! Maybe you get tired of hearing me tell the same old thing over and over again, but I’m happy, Dad, because even though I was once a stray sheep, Jesus the good Shepherd stepped out and saved me, no matter what a mess I was. It is truly wonderful.

How has everything on the ranch been going along? I hear the snow has been quite deep. Has all the skunk perfume gone away yet? Boy, What a deal! There is a chance that I might get home in April, providing the Lord doesn’t want me shipped back to TAF to teach. Have you seen Jason much?

This school that I’m in is really a humdinger. They don’t have a tower at Sheridan but maybe you have seen a few here and there. At any rate, your little son, will soon be, Lord willing, telling planes how to come in and land and take off. The school is a still one as I’ve told Mom, but the Lord has given me wonderful senses and the studying I can do now is nothing like that old stuff I used to horse around with in high school. I really have a zeal and even though I’m a pretty dumb kid the Lord can do wonders if I only yield completely to Him.

Well, it is just about Tap Time, and I have a shower to jump in and then chalk up some ‘Sack Time’ so as I’ll be a fit student of the Lord tomorrow. Write?

May the Lord bless you and guide you each day.
Love in Him,
Your son, Stephen