The Cracked Acorn: History

God moves in a mysterious way, His wonders to perform; He plants his footsteps in the sea, And rides upon the storm.  – William Cowper, 1722.

The date is November 26, 1939, another hard winter. Two brothers had married two sisters and we all lived in a tenant farmhouse, was log and then covered with weatherboarding, it was big enough for an added bedroom up a small stairway back of the only heat – the fireplace. Those were the days, we lived without electricity and telephone and anything else that we expect today.

When I was 4 days old, Russia invaded and tried to cross in deep winter on frozen lakes and surprise Finland; my father often remarked about this short war (the WINTER WAR). The reason; when the Russians were out on the ice, the Finns dynamited it and that was that for a while. Dad often remarked about this thru the years. Farming is daily devoted work and not that exciting, I guess this is why he often remarked about this bit of history and laughed. I never asked where he got this and why he was amazed at past history. Now, I think it was from our battery radio, bought from Sears, Roebuck via the mail.

Farming is different now and machines have taken over, not many laborers are left in the wide-open spaces. I now have outlived most of the ones I knew back when. Most late nights I go into town and get the morning newspaper, often have to wait and I listen to WMAL radio and hear how the Space Station is doing and how vaccines are wonderful to get.

A few days ago, WMAL covered WW2 and noted that Russia only protected their homeland and did well at that. It mentioned the 1939 ”Winter War” between Russia and Finland, I thought of Dad and listened to what the following remarks would be: The Finns had just blown the ice and got the Russians really badly, only 3 survivors and the Finns had them in tow. A Russian asked the Finns, “I guess now you will shoot us?” The reply was, “Oh no!” The 2nd Russian asked, “I know you will shoot us?” again the Finns, “No, we will give you food and medical, you will not be shot.” The 1st Russian then asked, “Will you loan me a gun?’, the Finns handed him a gun which he took and turned, shot the 3rd Russian – who was a political officer. (my eyes glistened, father would have really enjoyed that bit of humor.)

This action between the 2 countries ended in a draw. Russia thought it was not worth the great efforts to win.

When World War 2 came, Hitler’s army made it an additional front to invade Russia and it would all be over by deep winter. Of course, it never happened, Russia waited and let the hard winter of deep snow and ice stop the invaders. Past history must have been a lesson Russia never forgot.

Oh, the depth of the riches and the knowledge of GOD… – Romans 11:33