Reminiscing by Joyce Gordon Landis
Daughter of Art & Marilynn Gordon
My Dad and me when I was 3 or 4.
There are so many stories that I
could tell you about my days growing up in a home where polio changed our lives
forever. I was two when it happened, so I only remember our life after polio.
My two brothers and I contracted polio first. Then my Dad was literally struck
down with the virus and was totally paralyzed from the neck down for the rest
of his life and could not even breathe on his own. This was all before the
polio vaccine was available.
After polio my family moved from Ohio
to Pennsylvania to live in the same house where my Dad grew up. My Grandparents
had to move upstairs so we could live downstairs. And before we got there, they
added an addition downstairs onto the side of the house so we would have a
small bathroom, a small bedroom for my Mom and me to sleep in, and a big
bedroom for my Dad. He had to have lots of room for his rocking bed and other
equipment to get him in and out of bed. And his office was also in that
bedroom. I aways felt a little sorry for my brothers (unless they had been mean
to me that day) because they spent all of their growing up days sleeping at
night on the two couches in the living room area.
When I was quite young, I didn’t
really understand why we would have so many visitors come to our home. And of
course, many of them looked very sad to see my Dad as he was. And many knew him
as a boy growing up in the neighborhood. But this was my ‘normal’ and I never
thought of my parents as being sad people.
Many would come at Christmas and give
baked goods or money to our family. Santa Claus even stopped by each Christmas.
Of course, I realized he was an imposter, so I didn’t trust him.
As I grew up, I was pretty much loose
in our little town with my cousins and friends. It was safe to roam the
neighborhood during that time, and everyone already knew of our situation, so I
never really talked about it or had to explain anything.
You may think I have sad memories,
but my memories are mostly wonderful ones. I remember the game nights we had as
a family, when I had the honor of moving my Dad’s game piece for him, or he
would whisper his next move in my ear.
And I thoroughly enjoyed sitting in
the car with Dad and together dreaming up some mischief to do while Mom went
into the store to buy groceries. Here’s just one of the things we did. My Dad
had a great sense of humor. Our van doors would be wide open and people we
didn’t know would walk by and slow down and stare at my Dad as if they couldn’t
believe what they saw. So he would suddenly say a loud “BOO”, and they would
jump and then go rushing away. We both got a big kick out of that. Sometimes he
would laugh so hard at some of the crazy things we did, that tears would come
down his face.
Mom sitting in the van with Dad
My Dad was my biggest critic and my
biggest encourager while I was learning to play the piano. I’m sure he got very
tired of hearing me play the same song over and over again. But he was my
captive audience. He would sometimes speak up when I was searching for the
right note and say, “It’s there somewhere.”
My Dad was pretty much at my mercy
when I was quite young. One time I decided to put stickers all over his face as
the photo below shows. He was very patient with me.
My Dad always told me that his favorite thing to do was to watch his children grow up. I remember asking my Dad if he ever dreamed about walking again. Of course I had never seen him walk. His answer was "Well, I've never dreamed of walking again, but I dream all the time that I'm flying. I always thought that was quite interesting. And I'm pretty sure he can fly now.
My Mom was the really busy person in
our home. She had to constantly take care of my Dad’s every need. Occasionally,
I would get to feed my Dad or would share a bag of chips with him. I thought
that was actually quite fun, but I’m not sure he was too thrilled about it. But
Mom was his constant help. And she did it cheerfully and never with a
complaining spirit. In fact, I never heard them argue. I realize as an adult
what an amazing thing that really was.
Living in the country was perfect for
us, so we were able to grow our own garden and can our own produce. One of my
jobs was to help Mom with gardening and canning. I learned so much about
canning and putting up food, as a result. She would also have to get up
multiple times during the night when Dad would call her name from his rocking
bed. She would need to adjust his position, since it would become painful to
lie in the same position all night long. Mom would be so tired in the evenings
from all she did each day and night that she would fall asleep while helping me
with my schoolwork at the kitchen table. I always felt bad that she was so
tired.
My Dad wrote a monthly 6-to-8-page
devotional paper for 24 years by using an electric typewriter and a stick in
his mouth. This was yet another undertaking for both of my parents. Dad would
type it and Mom would proofread it and help get it ready to be published. Our Grandfather
would also help by addressing the papers.
When I decided to go to college after
high school, I knew my parents didn’t have the money to pay for my education. So I decided to work while getting my education. I didn’t mind at all, but I
knew that didn’t cover the whole school bill. And my parents told me often not
to worry about it because God would always provide. And He always did. My Grandmother
would send me $5 a month to pay for my laundry.
After graduating from college, I had
the opportunity to go to England, Scotland and Ireland with a singing group
from the college I attended, BJU in Greenville SC. But I didn’t think I would
be able to go since I had no money to pay for the trip. I called my Mom and she
was so excited and said it doesn’t matter about the money. She said I needed to
take this opportunity to serve the Lord! And sure enough God did provide in an
amazing, and unexpected way. I’m thankful for parents who never said no you
shouldn’t do this or that because of not having the funds. My parents taught me
to trust God in every decision. What I was taught as a young person has shaped
my life to this day.
My Dad and Mom would speak of God
often. So, I can’t remember when my parents first told me about salvation. But
I didn’t apply it to myself until I was five years old and my brother, Jack,
caught me jumping up and down on the bed and told me I was a sinner for disobeying
my parents and was going to hell if I didn’t get saved. So, I ran into the
kitchen and told my Mom what happened. She lovingly led me to the Lord. I already understood the Gospel but I applied it to my own life that day.
There were many wonderful things that
shaped my young life. But the most important thing wasn't necessarily the
Bible verses Mom wrote out on sheets of paper and taped on the inside of the
kitchen cabinets for us to memorize while eating breakfast, or the discipline
to do right, or praying for the missionaries, or having Bible verse plaques
hanging on the walls of our home, or
being faithful in church, even though all of these things played a huge part in
my life.
The most important thing I learned
from my parents was to trust in the Lord with all my heart in all situations.
My parents were not hypocritical. And complaining was not a part of their
lives.
They had a true, humble and honest
love for the Lord, and wanted to please Him in all things. He was in first
place in our home. I knew God was real. I saw Him answer prayer and saw my
parents spend time with Him every morning in Bible reading and prayer. There
was peace in our home as a result.
No, they weren't perfect people, but
none of us are. "For all have sinned and come short of the glory of
God." Romans 3:23. And "The wages of sin is death, But the gift of
God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord" Romans 6:23. So I
learned at an early age that I was a sinner and that Jesus loved me anyway and
paid for my sins by shedding His precious blood on a cruel cross. So, in
childlike faith I believed Jesus was the Son of God and accepted His free gift
of salvation. I have never regretted that decision.
"For God so loved the world,
that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not
perish but have everlasting life." John 3:16
Dad and Mom's lives were testimonies
to me of a great God. And that testimony was the very thing that brought me to
the Savior at a young age. Now my goal is also to please the Lord Jesus Christ
and glorify Him in all I do.
So, in 1998 my husband and I decided
to start MTT Ministries to spread the Gospel around the world by taking teams
of young people on short term mission trips. I promised God that I would serve
Him all my days.
