Page 24 - The Foster Revival in the Margarees

ISSUE : Issue 71

Published by Ronald Caplan on 1996/12/1

church" to make sport. I felt inclined to do this because of a strange desire to preach. Nevertheless I was inclined to be skep? tical. What is the significance of this conduct before I was thir? teen years old? Did it show that God was shaping my life for future service as a minis? ter in His Kingdom? "There is a Divinity that shapes our lives Rough hew them as we will." I knew nothing about religion, was not interested in family worship, often played "kill? ing pig" behind the stove when fa? ther was praying, for which conduct he frequently administered a well deserved flogging. On one oc? casion, as a punishment for refusing to accompany my parents to church, my mother put me in a hot oven and kept me there until I promised to go. Swearing was my great sin, and during quarrels with my school chums I used to chase them through the woods cursing all the way. During one of these school wars I lit? erally swore for a mile and thought nothing of it. And passing strange, mingled with all this deviltry I had a secret feeling that perhaps some day I would be a preacher. I was christened in my father's church before I experienced con? sciousness, and so far as I knew, or any one could see, this sol? emn service did not effect in any way a change in my young life. I was, however, like most of the boys I knew, irreligious, with my good and bad points always in evidence. And this was An early view of part of the Margaree Valley my state of mind during the first week of the revival. At one of those services, when unable to gain admission because of the crowd, I looked through the church window and made faces at some of the girls I saw inside, for which I was called before the preach? er the next day and severely rep? rimanded. No, I was not religious. As father told me, and rightly, that I was "in my natu? ral state," and, withal, was strongly inclined to be skeptical. During the second week of the revi? val I began to think earnestly on my relation to God. I was not ex? cited or emotional, but began to reason thus: If all this is true and there is a God who sees and understands He must think of me only as a sinner. Several things impressed me powerfully during this revival: (1) The song and prayer services held by the converts on the country roads as they gathered in groups late at night, after the church service was over. On the four or five principal country highways the singing could be heard for a considerable dis? tance. I attended some of these services and heard young men pray who a few days before were as tough as any in the valley. (2) The prayer meetings that were held in a partly finished house, owned by Dan Carmichael, were most stirring. The con- ' Blue Heron Gift Shop p"V Books • Glassware • Figurines • Woodenware V' Crystal • Cassette Tapes • CD's • Videos |0 Gifts for All Occasions -*'' BADDECK, N. S. 295-3424 MACAULAY'S FORD MERCURY SALES LIMITED BADDECK • 295-2500 - SALES - PARTS SERVICE LEASING ' ,o<3? 295-2303 c,* *.* .A* =.'J0' iC* Cf'''' ""1 Outdoor Terrace L Facing the ( Wharf in f [baddeck] The Doorway to the Heart of Cape Breton ...

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