The Road to H.O.M.E.

Winter 1995

By Isabel Morse Maresh

How Bob and I came to h.o.m.e. is an interesting tale. The Bible tells us that "God works in mysterious ways, His wonders to perform!" IN the Fall of 1993, our family did some dickering and became the owners of a hungry pig. After weeks of feeding him and not really wanting to butcher him ourselves, we put an ad in the Uncle Henry's Swap sheet that we would trade the pig for livestock, preferable sheep or calves.

We received only one phone call about the pig. A man and woman came to look at Wiggy, and we, in turn, drove to Bucksport to look at their animals in anticipation of a trade. In our visits, the conversation turned to what our occupation was. It turned out that Bob had worked most of his lifetime in a sawmill, and the man had also worked in a sawmill.

Later in the week, Bob received a phone call, and the man asked him if he was interested in sawing in the Sawmill at h.o.m.e. It turned out that the man was none other than Lewis Coro, who had visited us with Irene. We discussed among ourselves the pros and cons of driving twenty-nine miles one way to Orland.

An interview was set up with Lucy to discuss hiring bob to work in the Sawmill. I said that it would not really be worthwhile for bob to drive the distance to Orland from Belmont. I told Lucy that it would only be worthwhile if we both worked. I had not even thought about getting a job, as I had been content for fifteen years to do Genealogical and Historical research. Our interview was on a Tuesday. Lucy said that a job had opened up in Stitchery just the Friday before, and if my financial qualification were in the right range, I could have the job. As it turned out, I worked as a volunteer for a month before I was officially on the payroll.

Coincidence, that the man who answered the ad for the pig was Lewis, and that the Stitchery position opened up, I don't think so. I think that God led us to h.o.m.e.

Another interesting aspect to our coming to h.o.m.e. was that we did not have adequate transportation until a week before the opening for the jobs opened.

Often as we rid the miles to work daily, I pray for the day, that the Lord will make a way where there is no way, as He promised in the bible, and that He will open doors for us that have been closed. It is written in Psalms, "I have been young and am now old, and I have never seen the Righteous forsaken, nor his children begging for bread." God has graciously provided our every need, though at times we do not know how it will happen, and we have had hard times, but God is ever faithful.

I often relate the story of our Thanksgiving turkeys in 1993. Bob was not making enough money to purchase extras. I had said a simple prayer to the Lord, asking for a turkey for Thanksgiving. I received a phone call a few days before the holiday asking if I could use a turkey as there were two left from a company's giveaway to their employees, and I could have my choice if I could get to Belfast by 5 PM. I had less than a half-hour to make it. When I got there, there was no place to refrigerate the extra turkey, and I was given it also. Before the holiday came, I had been given five frozen turkeys, enough to feed our large families for Thanksgiving and Christmas. We can tell of many, many stories of what we consider miracles in our lives, such as having no money for gas for our car and making it to our driveway before running out of fuel. We feel that we are blessed many, many times over. We do have trials and tests like other Christians, and our faith falters at times. We sometimes fail to see god's will in our lives, but He has never forsaken us.