Anna Daisy Learns Faith

Anna Daisy’s FaithIt was a warm spring evening in central Kansas. Anna Daisy was too excited to sleep. She was in the southeast bedroom of the rambling two-story Reiswig house. Alma her sister was asleep. Anna Daisy’s mother had papered the room. She hung a picture of a guardian angel watching over two children as they crossed the bridge. Anna Daisy loved that picture and felt very secure, knowing that her guardian angel was watching over her. Anna Daisy rubbed her blue eyes and peered from the upstairs south bedroom window. Shapes and shadows in the farmyard were familiar. Anna Daisy could hear an occasional clucking in the henhouse. She took a deep breath of the night air. It smelled of rich black loam dirt and the fresh new lush greenness of spring. Anna Daisy heard Dolly, the family horse, neighing in the barn, as if talking to the other animals.Anna Daisy looked into the sky. So many stars, too many stars to count. She remembered God’s promise to Abraham that he would have as many children as there were stars in the sky.”,” “I’ll count the stars,” Anna Daisy said. Nothing daunted her. As she began counting, she noticed a large star in the southern sky. …“That is MY star!” She clapped her hand over her mouth. She looked back into the dimness of the bedroom. No, Alma didn’t move, she was still asleep. Anna Daisy moved closer to the window, placing her elbows on the window sill. Again she claimed her star.Anna Daisy didn’t know then the joy and comfort the steady glow of ‘her’ star would bring through the years. No matter what happened in this world, the star was hers. Anna Daisy didn’t know the many nights she would turn to God in prayer, lifting her eyes to the star-studded sky. She would only know that her star gave her hope and joy this night. It was like a sign.Anna Daisy, now 7 years old, heard voices downstairs. “I want them to pray.” Her Papa said. Soon his footsteps came up the stairs. What could Papa want? He came into the room, his voice trembling, “Mäakjes, girls, wake up, come with me to the barn, we must pray.”Anna Daisy shook Alma awake and they obediently stumbled down the stairs, two little girls, one blonde, and one with brown hair. One with inquiring blue eyes, and the other looked about with luminous brown eyes. They picked up their gowns as they crossed the yard following Papa.Anna Daisy, trying to keep up with the strides of her beloved Papa, asked, “Papa, Oh, Papa, what is it?”“It is your little brother, Paulie. He is very sick with Scarlet Fever. If his fever does not go down, he will die. We must pray.“ In the hay room, they knelt together, Papa, Alma and Anna Daisy. The hay was prickly and whispered a prayer as they knelt. Then Papa began to pray in Plautt Dietch, “O Himmlisch Gott, I have to do this. I love my child and I want to keep him. And yet, if You want our Paulie, then I give him back to you. We know you can do all things. Not our will, but Yours be done. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.”Anna Daisy could not understand why Papa prayed to give Paulie to God. After Anna Daisy and Alma prayed for Paulie, Papa rose and blew his nose loudly with his red kerchief and wiped the tears from his eyes. Hetook his daughters’ hands and they walked slowly back to the house.As they neared the backdoor, Momma met them smiling, “Gerhard, Gerhard, come quickly. Paulie’s fever has broken. God has given us our boy back.”Anna Daisy turned back and looked at the star, her star, in heavenly night sky. “Thank you, God, you have answered Papa’s prayer. Our baby brother lives. I will always have faith in You!”It was that night that Anna Daisy knew that God was real and no matter how long she lived she would never doubt her Heavenly Father. Anna Daisy and Alma climbed the stairs, and fell asleep quickly in their bed. Anna Daisy’s star watched as Anna Daisy closed her eyes and kissed the tip of her nose with a twinkle.