I grew up in a rather sheltered environment—living thirty miles from town and having only my two siblings to play and work with. I did attend a small country school, but exposure to worldly ways was minimal there as well. My parents were good folks, and I could always count on them to answer my questions honestly. They both possessed a good sense of humor, but they weren’t jokesters.
The only downside of all this was that it instilled in me a sense of trust in everyone and in what they said. In that unsuspecting state, I became quite gullible when it came to what my peers told me, and some of them enjoyed having a bit of fun at my expense.
As I grew older, I became more cautious of friends trying to “pull my leg.” So, when my husband spun this yarn about his parents ordering a donkey from Montgomery Ward when he was around five years old, I proudly didn’t fall for such a tall tale.
Oh, he made it sound believable. He said Frances was brought home in his dad’s enclosed delivery van after being picked up at the railroad station. The shipping invoice came with her, along with the bill of sale for $77.00.
“Yeah, right!” I said.
I asked him several questions, hoping to discredit his story, but he didn’t budge. He just kept adding small details that made it sound even more plausible.
“That donkey lived to be thirty years old,” he said with a straight face.
He even threw in some emotion. “Don (his older brother) was disappointed it wasn’t a pony instead.”
Then he whipped out a picture of the three brothers sitting on Frances’s back.
“Humph,” I thought to myself. That didn’t prove anything except that they had a donkey—probably one they had bought from the neighbor down the road.
But he had created just enough doubt in my mind that I had to wonder. Surely, he was just trying to hook me…wasn’t he? I had heard of Montgomery Ward selling prebuilt homes, but donkeys? No way!
One minute I was convinced it was just a wild story, and the next I was pondering whether it could really be true. I snuck away to consult Google.
“Did Montgomery Ward sell donkeys?” I entered into Google’s search bar.
Immediately, I had my answer. Yes, Montgomery Ward did sell donkeys. In the mid-1950s, the famous mail-order retailer featured two pages of live animals in its catalogs, including donkeys, dogs, purebred Shetland ponies, and even monkeys.
Well…I’ll be. That’s a story anyone would have had a hard time believing without proof.
I’m so grateful that when I go to the Word of God, I don’t have to wonder if it’s true. It is the inspired Word of God (2 Timothy 3:16), and His purpose is never to deceive us. How many times have I leaned into the Word and been comforted by such things as: “Do not fear,” “Do not be anxious,” “Trust in the Lord with all your heart,” and “God causes all things to work together for the good of those who love God.”
So many promises—and we can stand on every one of them, never having to wonder whether the words are really so.
Until next time…keep on readin’, and I’ll keep on writin’.
