After Captain Shallows checked Benjamin out he decided that it would be best if they got back on the trail and that Benjamin would be fit enough to travel. He gathered up several of the men, asking them to relay the news to the rest of the train. He asked Cal if he would mind still driving the Whetstone wagon, and Cal by this time was very glad to.
Ahead of them was Independence Rock which would signify that they had made it half way. And even with the delay of Benjamin getting shot in the leg and the time it took to care for him, they were arriving in good time.
Emily jumped in the back of the wagon to watch over her brother and enjoy being with him. While they traveled on Benjamin told Emily that he was proud of her and her strong faith she was able to keep during his event. While they talked and discussed how God provides and takes care of all things to those who trust in Him, Cal was hearing every word up front.
He could not understand this talk after all the two had been through. But, he listened and Emily knew quite well he was listening and was hoping that his heart would now begin to soften towards God. She knew too well about his past and what he had shared with her, and she was very worried about his stance he had now taken on God.
She continued to talk with Benjamin, praising God all the while for His hand in the healing of his wound.
As they looked ahead they could clearly see why everyone had said that those who traveled the trail before them left their mark on the Rock. It was gigantic and beautiful and she could not wait to carve her and Benjamin’s name in it. As the wagons pulled up around in a circle, there was a hush that came over the people.
Everyone seemed to just sit and stare at it and each one was soaking in their own thoughts of their journey they had traveled so far, realizing that yet they still had only come half way.
This sent excitement to some and dread to others.
But regardless of which way their thoughts went, they were all feeling blessed to have gotten that far. Each wagon unloaded adults and children and walking hand in hand they all walked towards the Rock in front of them and before anyone began to carve their name into the stone, they quietly walked around reading other names that had come this way before them.
There were names of people that did make it and names of those who had not made it to the Rock. There were pictures drawn, dates inscribed and other important notes to leave behind for those to come. It was like as huge monument and was very emotional to read all the inscriptions.
Emily enjoyed the Scriptures that were written on the rock and she wished that Benjamin could see it for himself. But, she took a rock and began carving her name and her brother’s name. She also wrote the date and then she carved Psalm 91. As she stood there looking at what she had written, Cal came up and looked over her shoulder and he said “Miss Emily, I guess I just don’t understand your strong faith in a God that would allow things to happen the way they do. Don’t you ever doubt whether He really cares for you or not?”
“Oh no Cal, never do I doubt that, because it is clearly seen that the Lord does care mightily. Can you not see how He has taken care of Benjamin, or is it that you just see what your eyes allow you to see?”
That gave Cal something to think about because to him, it was clear that his eyes did see what had happened to Benjamin and to him, it was the Indians that helped Cal’s leg and not God. He didn’t say a word to her, but shook his head and walked away.
It broke Emily’s heart to see Cal struggle with the Lord, but she kept herself in deep prayer about it and she slowly walked back to the wagon to tell Benjamin what she had written. After each person had left their mark on the Rock, they climbed back into their wagons and headed back down the trail.
Their plan was to drive about twenty more miles and then they would camp for the night. Emily looked back and she noticed the sky behind her was beautiful, filled with gorgeous clouds, but as she looked forward it seemed to be darker and something just didn’t feel right.
But there was no evidence of a storm coming in, only a strange color on the horizon. So, she carried on talking with Benjamin until he had nodded off to sleep. She then climbed up front and sat next to Cal and she decided that it might be a good time to speak with him about the ways in which God works and to find out more about why Cal had decided to give up on the Lord.
Chapter Six
Embracing the Banks
SITTING BESIDE CAL after leaving Independence Rock was a different experience for Emily. She was finally able to feel some relief about her brother and she was now allowing herself to take a closer look at Cal, this young man who had been so much help to her and such a comfort to her through Benjamin’s ordeal.
She began to notice how tall and strong he looked and he had a face of strength mixed with softness. He was a very good looking young man and she realized that she had never noticed that before now, and as she sat next to him, she felt very glad to be traveling with him.
With her brother beginning to heal up, she could now concentrate on things at hand and she found herself interested in Cal’s life. She reached over and touched his shoulder and told him that she would like to pray with him if he wouldn’t mind.
He looked down into her tender young eyes and could not find it in himself to deny her that, so he shook his head in approval. As she began to pray, Cal felt a surge shoot through him that he couldn’t recognize and it left him feeling a warmth he had not known for a very long time.
As she continued to speak to God, he caught himself refusing to stop her and he listened on as the words flowed from her lips. He was uncomfortable, yet he couldn’t resist leaning in closer to her every word.
When she’d finished, Cal’s response was silence and with patience from the Lord, Emily accepted his silence, knowing that it would be God working upon Cal’s heart and she joined him in silence.
GREEN RIVER was miles ahead and there the company of wagons would be able to do their washing and would settle in to prepare their noon meal. While all were looking forward to the break, they were getting restless and wondering if they could wait to even get there.
There seemed to be a shared unknown swirling and uneasiness surrounding them. No one realized what was taking place with the train, but some had felt the presence of a warning--an oppressiveness--settling in.
Even the sir felt heavy.
Emily was one who had felt it and she began looking around her in every direction, but could see no tales of warnings. She glanced over at Cal to see if he was feeling anything, but he was carrying on as usual.
She hopped into the back of the wagon to check on Benjamin, but he was still asleep, so she went back up to the front. Finally reaching the river, the wagons pulled off to the side of the trail and people began climbing out of their wagons.
Children were going one way and the adults another, ready to do their chores. Women carried laundry to the edges of the river and men tended to the stock, while the children played alongside of their mother’s as they skipped rocks into the river.
As Emily was carrying her laundry to the bank, she felt a breeze kick up and it rushed through the trees by the banks, and as she looked out she could see trees bending nearly to the ground. There was a sudden rush of the wind and she quickly took her laundry back into her wagon.
About the time she took off in the direction of the Captain who was riding along the edges of the bank, a mighty wind blew up and the skies above her turned dark. The Captain quickly hollered to the people to find shelter, that a storm was coming and he rode over to Emily and told her to get to her brother and he would send some men over to her to get him out of the wagon and to shelter.
She ran to the wagon and met Carl as he was running out to get her. Together, they grabbed Benjamin from the back of the wagon and they pulled him out and carried him to a spot that was surrounded by some brush. In a matter of minutes a storm blew in on the train, giving no one much time to even prepare and as the wind picked up, the sky turned black over their heads.
Emily felt like
it must have been like this after the crucifixion of Jesus.
Not being able to see, Emily was not sure how many had found safety in clefts of rocks and how many had not. As she curled up with Cal and Benjamin, her prayers went up for God’s protection and as she laid there listening to the horrific screams, it was hard to distinguish which screams were those of people and which were the screams of the funnel.
What seemed like hours passed and only being able to see what was happening in tiny glimpses, she saw oxen as they were picked up and whirled through the air, wagons twisting and breaking into splinters, and she prayed to not see a soul being taken.
But, when the storm was over the devastation was quite clear and they all knew that several wagons full of people had been swept up into the funnel and they were either nowhere to be seen, or the remnants were strewn all over the place.
As people began to come out of their shelters they had buried themselves into, tears and screams filled the space as they began to realize the impact of the mighty storm. Remembering the wagon that had been behind them that was filled with all the children, Emily at once began running trying to find them and just as she was about to give up hope, out of the corner of her eye she saw a bundle of children hunkered down underneath what remained of their family wagon.
Praising God and running to the children she began searching and counting heads and to her surprise, all the children were safely tucked under the pieces left behind of the wagon. She cried from joy but, as she continued on, she could not find their parents anywhere and her heart sunk into despair.
Crying for mercy she fell to her knees thanking God for the lives of the children being spared. Cal ran over to her and helped her to stand up and as he took a look at her, he realized just how her faith worked. Seeing Emily filled with so much joy that these children were alive melted his heart and he hit his knees praising and thanking God, and asking God to forgive him for giving up on Him.
It was a moment in time that would never be forgotten as they both looked up and down the banks of that river. You could see the hand of God as He had spread out His protection among their friends.
As Cal stood up to his feet, he looked across and he saw the children’s two parents rise up from where they had been laying down during the storm. They had survived and God had held His mighty hand over them, keeping them on solid ground.
It was a marvelous scene to behold.
An entire wagon train and not one person had lost their life in the violent storm.
Many of the wagons had been picked up and hurtled through the air, but not one precious person had been touched. God had held His finger on each one. This was a call for celebration amongst the train and as the dark clouds lifted and rolled back, every eye was lifted toward the heavens and from every tongue there was praise and worship filling the valley.
This was a day of redemption, of salvation in the mighty arms of the Lord and because of unbelief, those who were willing to trust in Him in their time of trial, the Lord filled their hearts with belief and faith was strengthened at the banks of the river.
There was no longer a need for Cal to leave God and to carry on alone, for he once again was able to see how God’s love reaches down and tightens its grip on those He loves.
THE TRAIN WAS able to regroup and gather up the pieces of their lives and carry on along the Oregon Trail with new found faith and determination to give praise to Him who deserves the praise.
They followed the trail all the way into Oregon with a refreshing of their spirits, knowing full well that it was God who had delivered them from the violent storm.
And, Emily had much to tell her Aunt Martha when she finally arrived on her doorstep, sharing with her all the trials that was set before her and how God had been beside them all the way.
Cal decided that this was one young woman and a faith that he could not let go of again, and he stayed on with Emily and her Aunt’s family.
Three years later a ceremony was performed and what a celebration it was to see Emily give her love and her hand to a young man who had once given up on the Lord, but through his trials he returned to the Lord.
It was a celebration filled with laughter from children and praise pouring from the lips of those who believe, and it took place on a farm tucked back into the Oregon hills and as God looked down, He was well pleased.
THE END
Facing the Storm Along the Oregon Trail Page 3
