Following his conversion, Edward Garlock believed God for anything. A God that could deliver him from his vices and addictions was powerful. That is what he preached, talked, and lived.
When diptheria was robbing families of their little ones all around them, trust in God continued to be the rule of faith in the Garlock household. Little Samuel Joseph was 18 months old when he came down with the dreaded disease.
Doctor's visits to neighbors houses and the medicine they offered had little or no effect. Children were dying. Jessie May and Edward stood over their little one and prayed, believing God was the only hope. But it seemed the Heavens were as brass and their baby boy grew worse each day.
Grief stricken, they buried him in the family plot in Roxbury, Connecticut just before Christmas, 1919. The death of a child is devastating to any parent. It was a crushing blow to Edward's faith as well as a heartbreak at the loss of his son. The ridicule of the town folk added to their agony.
"WHY"? Edward would cry out in anguish. Unable to rise above his heartache--he mourned as he walked the wooded area behind the house. He barely got the chores done each day and couldn't bring himself to minister to others.
The book, "Generations" will tell if he rose above his grief, or if he gave up on trusting God.
This is so sad, Sharon, and reminds me of my grandparents. They had 13 children and the first 4 died of a mysterious stomach ailment. We are so fortunate to have the healthcare available now.
ReplyDeleteThanks for reading, and the comment, Rebecca. Yes, medical knowledge today is wonderful and certainly a gift from God.
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