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The Power of Prayer and a Dog
Named “Willie” Today, I am going to speak briefly on the power of prayer (in my own life) and a dog named “Willie.” My wife, Dorothy Galloway, has been diagnosed as having cerebral atrophy. It was predicted by two neurologists, one in Florida and one in Ohio, that Dorothy would be terminal fifteen months ago. Of course, these doctors were not reckoning with the power of prayer. Not only does Dorothy have your prayers here at Boehm’s Chapel, but also from prayer chains in a church in Florida and my home church in Dayton, OH, as well as my own prayers. I do not want Dorothy to leave me! I have never told publicly that my prayers have always been answered, but this is true! Sometimes it takes awhile, but the Lord always comes through! When I began planning for retirement, I prayed for someone to come forth and show my wife some way to occupy herself in retirement while we traveled North America and within two years that prayer was answered. A lady from Abington, IL contacted us and contracted with us to research the Boehm/Beam/Beahm genealogy while we traveled about. We were to feed her all of our findings and she was to publish a “Beam Book” in 1988. At present, there is no complete “Beam Book” in print, our mentor having died in 1988. Finding the vehicle to keep my wife occupied was an example of what good prayer can do. But, let me state what bad prayer may accomplish. Dorothy and I went to central Maryland to interview a Beam husband and wife. We were met at their door by the couple, plus their dog named Willie. Now, as we were being seated in their living room, Willie made eye contact with me and began to growl. No admonishment the master gave Willie would shut him up. The hair on his back stood straight up and the growls became louder. The master assured me that Willie was a gentle animal and had never bitten any one. This did nothing to relieve my fear. At any rate, my interview with Mr. Beam was a washout, although Dorothy had success with talking to Mrs. Beam. I stood to leave and backed towards the door, all the while keeping eye contact with Willie. However, the doorknob eluded me and for one instant, I had to break contact with Willie. Well, that pooch was airborne like a rocket and grabbed the seat of my trousers. Now my father was a coal miner (No), so I have a lot of slack in my pants, so no damage was sustained to my body. I told Mr. Beam to hold onto Willie and not to reach for his wallet - that I’d get a pair of pants at the thrift store for seven bucks. So, Dorothy followed me out to our car and as I was putting her into the car, in a fit of rage I said, “I hope and pray that Willie drops, he may be a Scottie terrier, but he’s also a Scottie terror.” Now, the story shifts to Labor Day weekend and to the George Washington Beahm reunion. I was to emcee the event and was waiting to begin my spiel when this Beam couple that I have been talking about show up at the reunion. Just to make conversation, I inquired if Willie was with them. They informed me that Willie dropped dead the week following our visit in the spring. Mrs. Beam stated that Willie never had a sick day in his life, so his demise was a complete mystery. Now, I don’t know if Willie is in puppy paradise or puppy purgatory, but I do know that I put him there, wherever he is! Willie forgive me! Never again will I pray for something bad to happen to a living thing. But, you may ask, what have Dorothy and I accomplished in the twenty years of our research? We have created an awareness among the branches of our Boehm/Beam/Beahm family as to their roots and introduced them to the location and meaning of the place where we are today, our anchor in the Boehm sea of history! We have also made them aware of the fact that they have cousins in Virginia, Ohio, and Ontario, Canada who they can interact with. My wife, Dorothy, has laid down the torch of Beam research due to her malady and I have been praying for four years that someone would come forward to take up that torch. Someone is needed who has the youth, the interest, and the time to get this project into the twenty-first century! Last September that person stepped forward and formed an alliance with me to carry on the Beam genealogy research and get it before the public. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the son of a minister, a world traveler, and a bona fide Beahm. |