A King-Size Bed, a Silk Tree, and a Fry Pan

by Phyllis Porter Dolislager

Overview

Believing that the wisdom acquired in a lifetime is as much a part of a family's legacy as are all of its material possessions, Phyllis Dolislager uses stories from her family's lives to illustrate what's truly important to her and her husband. Following the Judeo-Christian tradition of an Ethical Will or a Last Will and Testament, she put together this spiritual document, her Testament, for her family. Stories of trusting God, helping others, as well as struggles faced, make this book meaningful not only to her family but to all who read it.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781591603207
Publisher:	Xulon Press
Publication date:	01/07/2003
Edition description:	28th ed.
Pages:	180
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.41(d)

Read an Excerpt

A King-Size Bed, a Silk Tree, and a Fry Pan

Our bed was a perfect fit for my husband and me, until the added pillows became a necessity, and the dog moved in for the night.

The pains in my hip and legs as a result of post-polio syndrome were relieved with the addition of a pillow under my knees and/or between them as I slept. Once this solace had been found, I wasn't about to abandon it.

We had already been sharing our bed with our cat, Leah. She would stay put at the bottom of the bed for the entire night. But when the cat died, there was the dog, waiting in the wings to take over the bed-sleeping rights.

Now the dog was another story. Hildegard Gardenia Dolislager is an eight-pound, longhair, miniature dachshund. Add to that the fact that my husband Ron hadn't been allowed to have his dog sleep with him as he was growing up. (One night when I was out of town he actually spent the night on the couch in the family room to see what it would be like to slumber next to Hildy!)

So there we were, fulfilling a childhood wish of a 50-year old man. But how much room can an eight-pound dog take? More than you'd ever guess. Wherever she chose to deposit her weight, the sheet would not budge. If I rolled over, the sheet stayed with the mutt. If I wanted to pull up the blanket, the dog had to be lifted up and once again deposited in her place. We even tried putting the dog under the sheet! Rolling over and having a tail in my face in the middle of the night was my final clue that something had to give.

I was unwilling to part with my pillows. By then, Ron was also unwilling to part with his dog. It was at this point in time that the idea of a king-size bed started to make its presence known.

A silk tree. More than once I had spotted a decorator's "black hole" in my home, and I just knew in my heart that a silk tree would be the perfect solution. In fact, there were at least two available niches. The living room had a bare corner behind the lamp table, and I thought a silk tree would cozy up that corner lending its silk elegance to the entire ambiance!

Also, the family room had at least a 5-foot span of bare wall to the left of the sliding-glass door. A silk tree would warm up the spot and serve as a backdrop to the reclining lounge. To be perfectly honest, I had shopped for a silk tree. However, I never found one within my budget that I liked well enough to bring home.

And a fry pan. There's a rule in my house that when there's enough Teflon scraped off the bottom, I'm allowed to get a new fry pan. This is a big event, because it signals that I've been doing some "cooking." The microwave is actually my tool of choice. (I've asked for a second one, but thinking that the embarrassment factor might outweigh the usefulness factor, I've quit asking.)

Now, I would have had this fry pan thing over and done with, but I hadn't been able to find the right size. You see, when it's your "main pan," not only does it have to be at least 10 inches in diameter, but two or three inches deep. And it has to have a cover. Why they sell fry pans without covers, I haven't a clue.

* * *

A king-sized bed, a silk tree, and a fry pan: an interesting list. And then I heard Larry Burkett on the radio. The "catechism" for the day was to trust God for all your needs. "Don't run out and buy what you want," he said, "but wait and see if God has another way of providing it for you."

I knew I couldn't afford a king-sized bed. I had to trust God for that. I possibly could afford a silk tree, but it would be a stretch. For sure I could afford a fry pan, but I hadn't been able to turn up the precise one.

"O.K. God, O.K. Larry Burkett, You're on." I prayed. I didn't pace. I didn't become anxious. I didn't window shop. I didn't even tell my husband. I did, however, remind God once a week.

One night, about three months later, I received a phone call from a friend who had been trying to sell her mother's condo in our area of Florida. Carol happily reported that the sale had been completed.

She then went on to ask if South America Mission, where Ron is the Finance Director, would be interested in the contents of the condo. What timing! I was thrilled to be able to tell her that the mission was in the process of redoing their three guest cottages, and this would be an answer to prayer for them.

But wait, there was more! Carol then said that Ron and I could personally have first choice of the contents. If there was anything we could use, we were to take it.

Oh, no. Oh, yes! Excitement. Hesitation.

Quietly I asked, "Is there a king-size bed?"

"Yes," came the reply.

With a little more energy I asked, "Is there a silk tree."

"Yes," again.

Now this last one was going to sound a little crazy, I thought to myself. "Is there a fry pan?"

"Yes," in fact, a whole set of Club aluminum pots and pans that were new the Christmas before Carol's mother passed away.

* * *

Friends have told me I should have gone for something bigger. But then the king-size bed is a perfect fit for my husband, his dog, my pillows, and me. The silk tree, with a family of ceramic cats napping under its branches, is lending its classy touch to my family room. And the fry pan is happy to announce that it hasn't seen too much duty, but the meals it has been involved with have all turned out, would you believe, adequately?

Table of Contents

Chapter One: God Is The Blessed Controller

• A King-Size Bed, a Silk Tree, and a Fry Pan
• Avon Calling
• Grandparent Prayer Power
• Dressing Up the Nativity
• 49 and Riding a Roller Coaster
• Pauline's Hug

Chapter Two: Anywhere But Africa

• From Michigan to Monrovia
• A Cup of Cold Water
• Whose Children Will Become Missionaries?
• Does Your "C" Show?
• Ferris Wheels and Merry-Go-Rounds
• Give Two Years to Missions? Me?

Chapter Three: Riches Beyond Imagination

• Rich in Tomorrows
• Harmonicas, Pineapple Pie & Rook
• Looking Backward
• Praying and Serving
• A Father Ahead of His Times
• Treasures of Their Faith

Chapter Four: Do You Think God Still Loves Us?

• Hands Reaching Across the Atlantic Ocean

Chapter Five: What's Next, God?

• What's the Next Step?
• Lessons Learned at the Cenacle
• Life and Walking the Labyrinth
• What Is Waiting to Happen in My Life Now?
• Upon Returning Home I Will . . .

Chapter Six: The Men In My Life

• A Voice From The 60's
• My Children? Two Boys!
• Real Beginnings
• Crabs & Jesus

Chapter Seven: It All Started With A Foot-Long Cigar

• Polio to Palm Trees

Epilogue/Ron's Response