SilverSprings: July 2017

Doub’s Chapel United Methodist Church

5591 Seward Road, Pfafftown, NC 27040

Speech by Mike Mabe at God and Country Day

July 9, 2017 1830 hours

Thank you for asking me to speak on this special day where we praise God and celebrate this special place in the universe that we call … Country.

Doub’s Chapel occupies a special place in my heart. First, because my grandfather, George Robert Mabe, and my grandmother, Dora Lineback Mabe and one of their daughters, my aunt Alta Irene Mabe are laid to rest along the back row in this cemetery. This Mabe family lived most, if not all, of their lives in the Seward/Pfafftown community. Alta lived 84 of her 86 years with major physical and mental handicaps. My grandparents were probably the poorest family in this area. They spent their whole working lives as tenant famers and sharecroppers on various farms in this Zip Code area. In their mid-seventies they still had no permanent lodging or a house of their own. Around 1952 Malecta Doub Nance who lived at the corner of Seward Road and Seward Circle had sympathy and compassion for the Mabe family and gifted one acre of land to Alta who was in her thirties at that time. The family then had one acre of ground they could then call theirs. My father, his two brothers and a few other men built a small house on the plot at the end of Lineback Road which is now Silver Springs Road. But, one neighbor denied them access to electricity. The Mabe family lived for one year in their new home without electricity until another neighbor, Travis “Jack” Queen and his wife Christine Icenhour, allowed power lines to cross their land in a roundabout path to bring in electricity. George Robert and Dora Lineback lived their last 6 to 8 years into their mid-eighties in the only house they could call their own. Alta lived out her next 38 years with siblings and eventually in assisted living facilities in Stokes County until she was laid to rest here in 2002.

Also, this church was the first to celebrate all veterans, including Vietnam veterans, when the late Eddie and Eunice Doub organized these God and Country Days beginning around 1985. I know the late Ward Doub as well as some of you were also supporters back then. So, Thank You!

I don’t know if you accept this notion. It has been said: “The Two Most Important Days in A Person’s Life: The Day You Were Born and the Day You Find Out Why”

The day I was born was February 7, 1947. The day I found out Why was March 12, 1966.

I will tell you why I was born in a few minutes.

But first, on that day, March 12, 1966, I was involved in a one-on-one shoot out at close range with an enemy soldier. He saw me first and allowed me to get within 30 feet and then began firing at me first. There is no worldly reason for the Viet Cong soldier to have missed his target.

When I wore a military uniform, I served a tour of duty on the battlefields of South Vietnam. Out of the 350 days in harm’s way, I said a prayer at least a hundred of those days. I prayed the same words every time. I looked up into the nighttime sky and asked God, “Father, watch over me, keep me safe, allow me to grow up, to marry, and to have a family. Amen”

God stayed with me throughout that year and every day and year since then. I was watched over and kept safe during some difficult soldiering.

For those of you who know me, you can verify that God answered my prayers. He gave me everything I asked for in that Vietnam prayer and much, much more. I can take very little credit for the way my life unfolded with a wonderful wife, 2 children, an education, a vocation, travel, substitute teaching in public high school, and all the wonderful people I’ve met along the way. My life has been a “magic carpet ride.”

Many people tell me that their veteran father, uncle, cousin won’t talk about their military service or battlefield experiences. I like to talk about mine. Young people, especially, want to hear accurate stories about the training we received and the places we served. If you’re a veteran who doesn’t want to talk, I urge you to change your mind. It will be therapeutic for you and informative to listeners.

So, why was I born? I was born for the same reason you were…. to praise God and to love him will all my heart, mind, and soul and to love neighbors the same.

I was also born to accumulate my life experiences and to   meet you.        Why am I to meet you?

So you can teach me a thing or two about “Life”.     And, perhaps, I can show you a thing or two.

Together, with God’s help, we will make it through this life    and one person at a time   we will enter heaven and be seated at the right hand of the Father   forever, just like George Robert, Dora Lineback, Alta Irene and yes, also with Malecta Nance, and Jack & Christine Queen, those neighbors who had compassion and kindness for the poorest among them.

I believe in the promises of Jesus!

Thanks be to God, His Son, and the Holy Spirit
Amen

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