A Heavenly Father: Kay Blandford Believes
“I am the light of the world; he who follows me shall not walk through darkness, but shall have the light of life.” John 8:12
The Tragedy
Indeed it was a tragedy that claimed the lives of Gail Shanahan and Maggie Green on the morning of May 26, 2002, but thank God their souls are just as full of life as ever. The odds took the two barrel racers away from us when the Interstate 40 bridge at Webbers Falls, Oklahoma, was struck by a barge, causing it to collapse, taking with it the truck and trailer hauling Maggie, Gail, and four horses.
It didn’t take long for Kay Blandford to put the facts together. Kay recalled how the ladies had wanted to leave early that morning but hadn’t loaded up anything the night before. They were up at 6am and it took them an hour to get everything packed up and ready to go. “They left right at seven o’clock and the bridge went down at 7:48; that would put them right there,” Kay had thought. At 9am Kay’s good friend, Suzanne Moseley, called her to ask if she had heard from Gail and Maggie. Suzanne was on the verge of being upset that the girls hadn’t called to say they were okay! “Why didn’t they call us?” Suzanne asked Kay. When they didn’t answer their cell phones, Kay got a ride to the bridge.
At the time, nobody but reporters were around. The worst possible outcome was confirmed as Kay watched a crane lift her trailer out of the Arkansas River; the impact had separated her trailer from Maggie’s truck. The nightmare continued as the truck and the bodies of two of Kay’s best friends and the horses were pulled up. Kay was told that they definitely died instantly from the impact of the 70 foot drop; the only one drowning seemed to be herself, under a flood of emotions. Kay was also able to tell me that they were the third vehicle over and had not gotten stopped and “pushed” over as the rumors soon-after told. For some reason that came as a bit of a relief to know, maybe because it would mean that they experienced less mental anguish in the end.
Whatever the causes, the loss is no less painful. All we can do is guess that Heaven was suffering from a shortage of angels. Surely if you read about the other victims that were taken along with Gail and Maggie under the slimmest of circumstances that day, you would probably agree that that could have very well been the case. At least we can be thankful that they had the opportunity to enrich so many lives around them before they were needed elsewhere. Most likely, they will all continue to enrich many more lives.
Meet Gail and Maggie
By now, I’m sure many of you’ve already read a lot about their lives. But this article is going to attempt to show you what it was like to know Gail and Maggie through the eyes of someone who did, Kay Blandford, and tell you about some of their favorite memories that you probably haven’t read about.
Kay Blandford realizes how blessed she is to have known Gail and Maggie so well. For those of us who didn’t have that privilege, you may feel the same way I do, as if you’ve lost two sisters you never even got to meet. That grief is exactly what motivated me to call Kay. I wanted to get to know Gail and Maggie a little better.
Both Gail, 49, and Maggie, 47, were early risers and hard workers. She described both of them as “workaholics” and pleasurable to be around. Kay said Gail was the happiest she’s ever been after being engaged in December. And Maggie’s life was full of the love for and from her family, children, and grandkids.
Kay met Gail through barrel racing and futurities. They didn’t live very far apart and it didn’t take them long to become close friends, share ideas, and realize that they worked together really well. Gail was proud to say “I can train’em and she [Kay] can ride’em and win.” She wasn’t lying; Kay won $7,800 at the Fort Smith futurity on two horses that Gail trained.
Kay also told me that Gail was a jokester who was always up for a good laugh. Kay specifically recalled a day that they were relaxing at a water park. Kay can’t swim very well and hates to try, but they were both floating leisurely on intertubes until Gail came up behind her and flipped her tube. Kay said she started yelling for help, just knowing she was going to drown, until Gail calmly smiled “just stand up.” Well, Kay did and you can just picture the embarrassment when she realized that the water was barely waist deep! Obviously Gail never let Kay forget that one!
Kay distinctly remembers the first time she got to meet Maggie Green. She had helped a friend of Maggie’s, with a horse, who then recommended that Maggie seek Kay’s help as well. Before Maggie got to see Kay in person she saw a picture of her and figured it would be good for Kay to get on her horse because they were both about the same weight. The only problem was that 150 pounds was a bit of an overstatement for Kay! When Maggie saw Kay in person she was a bit embarrassed to admit that she had expected Kay to be “heavier”! Kay could only laugh and admire Maggie’s honesty. The first horse Kay ever rode for Maggie was a little black mare that she quickly advised Maggie to get rid of, and Maggie did.
Even though Maggie hadn’t ridden the last few years, the Fort Smith futurity was her annual vacation. She went to help Kay out with her horses and worked hard to make Kay's job as easy as possible, but was always a lot of fun to be around. Kay liked to have Maggie warm Llave up for her and would simply oppose when Maggie would worry about ruining him. But she could always count on Maggie, both in this life and the next. Kay vividly recalls feeling Maggie helping her ride Llave to the first barrel during her winning run at the Fort Smith rodeo the night after the accident.
Faith Through Darkness
Kay said that the days following the accident were especially difficult. A constant reminder was the vacancy of her trailer, which sat next to where she rides every day. But she knows now that God didn’t “fill her plate” without a reason. She has the support of her friends and family, and of course a list of accomplished goals that any one of us would be thankful to show off. And most important of all, she can confidently claim “I know God loves me; I can smile because He’s going to show me the way.” For her many accomplishments Kay gives her “Glory to God.” He knew the desires of her heart and He has definitely filled her plate to the top.
Kay knows how fortunate she was to have been raised in a Christian household. She is next to the oldest of her three sisters and always remembers having a supportive, close family. When asked how God has proven Himself to her in her life she quickly responded, “this accident.” Gail and Maggie’s death woke Kay up to a world she always knew about and believed in, but sometimes overlooked as most of us do. It’s what I once heard referred to as being a “baby Christian”, when we believe, but still fail to truly give ourselves to the Lord. Kay admits that it’s really hard to read her Bible on a daily basis like she knows she should. “You get busy and tired,” Kay said, but now her advice is to “read the Bible; read the scriptures.” She stressed that each and every one of us needs to “Believe in God’s will; if you believe in God, you believe in yourself.”
“For whosoever saves his life for himself shall lose it, and whosoever loses their life for my sake shall save it.” (Matthew 16:25) Barrel racers are among the most independent women I know. Every day we get dirt under our fingernails feeding horses, hauling hay, cleaning stalls, carrying water, etc., and we demand perfect obedience from animals that are ten times our weight! It may be hard to really, fully, and completely trust another with every part of our mind, soul, body, and heart, especially another whom we can’t even see and scientists can’t explain. But Kay Blandford doesn’t need an explanation. Her proof came to her from the inside-out when the presence of Gail and Maggie’s souls was so strong that she knew without a doubt she was not the only barrel racer running Llave that day. She knows in her heart that God does exist and that Gail and Maggie are “home.”
Our souls are only here for a limited time. One day, if we’re lucky, we’ll get to trade in these frail human bodies for ones that don’t get sick, ache with pain, or die. However, the path is narrow through the righteous Gate; we should only be jealous of those fortunate souls who get the green light to continue into a world we are all struggling to search for, where Love and Truth rein for eternity. As for Kay, God still has an unknown purpose and a divine use for this witness. She’s on a journey to who knows where but through light and through darkness she knows God will give her the strength she needs, and she’s not ashamed or embarrassed to tell the whole world that He will get her through… How about you?
Christin Michelle Brown
Title: Cowboy Story
Jake, the rancher, went one day to fix a distant fence;
the wind was cold and gusty and the clouds rolled gray and dense.
As he pounded the last staples in and gathered tools to go,
the temperature had fallen and the snow began to blow.
When he finally reached his pickup, he felt a heavy heart;
from the sound of that ignition, he knew it wouldn't start.
So Jake did what most of us 'd done had we been there;
he humbly bowed his balding head and sent aloft a prayer.
As he turned the key for the last time, he softly cursed his luck.
They found him three days later, frozen stiff in that old truck.
Now Jake had been around in life and done his share of roamin';
but when he saw Heaven, he was shocked-it look just like Wyomin'!
Of all the saints in Heaven, his favorite was St. Peter.
Now, this line, it ain't needed but it helps with rhyme and meter.
So they set and talked a minute or two, or maybe it was three;
nobody was keepin' score- in Heaven time is free.
"I've always heard," Jake said to Pete, "that God will answer prayers,
but one time I asked for help and well, He just plain wasn't there.
Does God answer prayers of some, and ignore the prayers of others?
That don't seem exactly square- I know all men are brothers.
Or does he randomly reply, without good rhyme or reason?
Maybe, it's the time of day, the weather or the season?
Now I ain't trying to act smart, it's just the way I feel;
and I was wonderin', could you tell me, what the heck's the deal?"
Peter listened very patiently and when Jake was done,
there were smiles of recognition, and he said, "So, you're the one!
That day your truck, it wouldn't start, and you sent your prayer a flying;
you gave us all a real bad time, with hundreds of us trying.
A thousand angels rushed to check the status of your file;
but you know, Jake, we hadn't heard from you in quite a while.
And though all prayers are answered, and God ain't got no quota,
He didn't recognize your voice, and started a truck in North Dakota."
Title: Come As You Are
One Sunday morning at our quite ritzy church a man came in just minutes
before the service was to start. He was dressed horribly. He had on boots,
overalls, a flannel shirt, and a cowboy hat.
The entire congregation was aghast.
Many of us quickly sent notes to our minister about our concern of this.
After the service our minister greeted the humbly dressed man and asked him
if he enjoyed the service.
The man exclaimed he had enjoyed it very much.
The minister asked the man to consider possibly dressing differently, and
told him to pray to Jesus about how he would have him dress if he should
return again.
The next week the man returned. He was dressed the same and once again the
congregation was disturbed by this. The minister greeted the man again and
asked him what he had been told by Jesus concerning how to dress for
church.
The man said, I spoke to Jesus about this but Jesus said, "he didn't know
how I should dress before coming to this church because he has never been
here."
Title: Foot Prints
There's a little old Christian lady living next door to an atheist. Every
morning the lady comes out onto her front porch and shouts "Praise the Lord!".
The atheist yells back, "There is no God". She does this every morning with
the same result. As time goes on the lady runs into financial difficulties
and has trouble buying food. She goes out onto the porch and asks God for
help with groceries, then says "Praise the Lord". The next morning she goes
out onto the porch and there are the groceries she's asked for, so of course she
says "Praise the Lord". The atheist jumps out from behind a bush and says,
"Ha! I bought those groceries - there is no God". The lady looks at him and
smiles, then she shouts "Praise the Lord, not only did you provide for me Lord,
you made Satan pay for the groceries!!"
FOOTPRINTS
Oooo Some people
( ) come into our lives
\ / and quickly go.
(_/
oooO
( ) Some people
\ / stay awhile
\_) and leave
Oooo footprints on our
( ) hearts...
\ /
(_/
oooO
( ) and we are
\ / never the same!
\_)
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Title: Anyway
People are often unreasonable, illogical, and self-centered;
Forgive them anyway.
If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives;
Be kind anyway.
If you are successful, you will win some false friends and some true enemies;
Succeed anyway.
If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you;
Be honest and frank anyway.
What you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight;
Build anyway.
If you find serenity and happiness, they may be jealous;
Be happy anyway.
The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow;
Do good anyway.
Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough.
Give the world the best you've got anyway.
You see, in the final analysis, it is between you and God;
It was never between you and them anyway!
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Title: Do you believe
One day a class of 6 year olds were sitting in a classroom. The teacher
was going to explain evolution to the children.
The teacher asked a little boy:
TEACHER: Tommy do you see the tree outside?
TOMMY: Yes.
TEACHER: Tommy, do you see the grass outside?
TOMMY: Yes.
TEACHER: Go outside and look up and see if you can
see the sky.
TOMMY: Okay. (He returned a few minutes later)Yes, I saw the sky.
TEACHER: Did you see God?
TOMMY: No.
TEACHER: That's my point. We can't see God because he isn't there.
He doesn't exist.
A little girl spoke up and wanted to ask the boy some questions. The
teacher agreed and the little girl asked the boy:
LITTLE GIRL: Tommy, do you see the tree outside?
TOMMY: Yes.
LITTLE GIRL: Tommy do you see the grass outside?
TOMMY: Yessssss (getting tired of the questions by this time).
LITTLE GIRL: Did you see the sky?
TOMMY: Yessssss
LITTLE GIRL: Tommy, do you see the teacher?
TOMMY: Yes
LITTLE GIRL: Do you see her brain?
TOMMY: No
LITTLE GIRL: Then according to what we were taught today in school,
she must not have one!
"FOR WE WALK BY FAITH, NOT BY SIGHT"
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Title: Take the Son
A wealthy man and his son loved to collect rare works of art.
They had everything in their collection, from Picasso to Raphael.
They would often sit together and admire the great works of art.
When the Vietnam conflict broke out, the son went to war. He
was very courageous and died in battle while rescuing another
soldier.
The father was notified and grieved deeply for his only son.
About a month later, just before Christmas, there was a knock
at the door. A young man stood at the door with a large package
in his hands.
He said, "Sir, you don't know me, but I am the soldier for whom
your son gave his life. He saved many lives that day, and he was
carrying me to safety when a bullet struck him in the heart and
he died instantly. He often talked about you, and your love for art."
The young man held out his package. "I know this isn't much. I'm
not really a great artist, but I think your son would have wanted
you to have this."
The father opened the package. It was a portrait of his son, painted
by the young man. He stared in awe at the way the soldier had
captured the personality of his son in the painting. The father was
so drawn to the eyes that his own eyes welled up with tears.
He thanked the young man and offered to pay him for the picture.
"Oh, no sir, I could never repay what your son did for me. It's a
gift."
The father hung the portrait over his mantle. Every time visitors
came to his home he took them to see the portrait of his son before
he showed them any of the other great works he had collected.
The man died a few months later. There was to be a great auction
of his paintings. Many influential people gathered, excited over
seeing the great paintings and having an opportunity to purchase
one for their collection. On the platform sat the painting of the
son. The auctioneer pounded his gavel. "We will start the bidding
with this picture of the son. Who will bid for this picture?"
The back of the room shouted, "We want to see the famous paintings.
Skip this one!"
But the auctioneer persisted, "Will someone bid for this painting?
Who will start the bidding? $100, $200?"
Another voice shouted angrily, "We didn't come to see this painting.
We came to see the Van Goghs, the Rembrandts. Get on with the real
bids!" But still the auctioneer continued, "The son! The son!
Who'll take the son?"
Finally, a voice came from the very back of the room. It was the
longtime gardener of the man and his son. "I'll give $10 for the
painting."
Being a poor man, it was all he could afford. "We have $10, who
will bid 20?" The crowd answered, "Give it to him for $10. Let's
see the masters." "$10 is the bid, won't someone bid $20?" The
crowd was becoming angry. They didn't want the picture of the son.
They wanted the more worthy investments for their collections.
The auctioneer pounded the gavel. "Going once, twice, SOLD for $10."
A man sitting on the second row shouted, "Now let's get on with the
collection!" The auctioneer laid down his gavel, "I'm sorry, the
auction is over." "What about the paintings?" The auctioneer
replied, "I am sorry. When I was called to conduct this auction,
I was told of a secret stipulation in the will. I was not allowed
to reveal that stipulation until this time. Only the painting of
the son would be auctioned. Whoever bought that painting would
inherit the entire estate, including the paintings. The man who took
the son gets everything."
God gave his Son 2,000 years ago to die on a cruel cross. Much like
the auctioneer, His message today is, The Son, the Son, who'll take
the Son?; Because you see, whoever takes the Son gets everything.
--author unknown
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Title: Christmas Love
Each December, I vowed to make Christmas a calm and peaceful
experience. I had cut back on nonessential obligations -- extensive
card writing, endless baking, decorating, and even overspending.
Yet still, I found myself exhausted, unable to appreciate the
precious family moments, and of course, the true meaning of Christmas.
My son, Nicholas, was in kindergarten that year. It was an
exciting season for a six year old. For weeks, he'd been memorizing
songs for his school's "Winter Pageant." I didn't have the heart to
tell him I'd be working the night of the production. Unwilling to
miss his shining moment, I spoke with his teacher. She assured me
there'd be a dress rehearsal the morning of the presentation. All
parents unable to attend that evening were welcome to come then.
Fortunately, Nicholas seemed happy with the compromise.
So, the morning of the dress rehearsal, I filed in 10 minutes
early, found a spot on the cafeteria floor and sat down. Around
the room, I saw several other parents quietly scampering to their
seats. As I waited, the students were led into the room. Each class,
accompanied by their teacher, sat cross-legged on the floor. Then,
each group, one by one, rose to perform their song. Because the
public school system had long stopped referring to the holiday as
"Christmas", I didn't expect anything other than fun, commercial
entertainment -- songs of reindeer, Santa Claus, snowflakes and good
cheer. So, when my son's class rose to sing, "Christmas Love", I
was slightly taken aback by its bold title. Nicholas was aglow, as
were all of his classmates, adorned in fuzzy mittens, red sweaters,
and bright snowcaps upon their heads. Those in the front row --
center stage -- held up large letters, one by one, to spell out the
title of the song. As the class would sing, "C is for Christmas", a
child would hold up the letter C. Then, "H is for Happy", and on and
on, until each child holding up his portion had presented the complete
message, "Christmas Love".
The performance was going smoothly, until suddenly, we noticed her
-- a small, quiet, girl in the front row holding the letter "M" upside
down -- totally unaware her letter "M" appeared as a "W". The audience
of 1st through 6th graders snickered at this little one's mistake. But
she had no idea they were laughing at her, so she stood tall, proudly
holding her "W". Although many teachers tried to shush the children,
the laughter continued until the last letter was raised, and we all saw
it together.
A hush came over the audience and eyes began to widen. In that
instant, we understood -- the reason we were there, why we celebrated
the holiday in the first place, why even in the chaos, there was a
purpose for our festivities.
For when the last letter was held high, the message read loud
and clear: CHRIST WAS LOVE.
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Title: "Take Time..."
Take time to pray... it helps to bring God near and washes the dust
of the earth from your eyes.
Take time for friends... they are the source of happiness.
Take time for work... it is the price of success.
Take time to think... it is the source of power.
Take time to read... it is the foundation of knowledge.
Take time to laugh... it is the singing that helps with life's loads.
Take time to love... it is the one sacrament of life.
Take time to dream... it hitches the soul to the stars.
Take time to play... it is the secret of youth.
Take time to worship... it is the highway to reverence.
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