Today is Monday, August 11th, 2008; Karen's Korner #1376
The Iowa State Fair began last Thursday. The fair and WHO radio tried something different to kick off the event. Together they were going to attempt attracting people to set a Guinness Book of World Records: most people in one place eating a corn dog.
To achieve the goal, they were allowing people through the fair gates from 5 - 8:30 a.m. free. Participants were supposed to head for the grandstand to get their free corn dog, ready for the chomp in unison just before the end of the Van and Bonnie show, near 9 o'clock.
Hmmm, Jim and I had never helped to set a world record. We decided to join the mob scene!
Left home about 5:30. Not as bad a traffic jam as we anticipated. Got our numbers. Headed for our seats.
They gave us our instructions. Fifteen of the fair food booths were under one ownership. They had been making corn dogs for three hours and then putting them in warming ovens. The 100 queen contestants, the FFA ushers, and a handful of ushers were going to begin the distribution of the more than 8,000 corn dogs. We were to help by passing them down our rows and hanging on to them until the word GO!
The orderly distribution then began. My row began to be overlooked. The higher rows got corn dogs. The lower rows got corn dogs. Not many minutes left when a crown and banner clad queen contestant and her FFA friend, toting a roaster pan made it toward us.
One by one we handed the corn dogs down the row, but it appeared the pan didn't hold enough to feed the 25 of us. The couple on my left held on to a corn dog for each of them before they again began the pass, as did the guy to my left. Would I get a corn dog?
I wanted to do what the others had done, but then I thought about 'putting others first'. If I gave away one of passing morsels I might not get to do what I had set out to do: eat a corn dog!
My five second struggle gave way when I recalled that 'if I took care of others, God would take care of me!' So down the row went the last couple of corn dogs before the pan was empty. There were probably six or eight of us who didn't get one. Oh, well, who needs a corn dog for breakfast anyway! Corn dogs aren't my favorite fair food!
There sat others surrounding me hanging on to their 'breakfast food', waiting for the word; when the last of about six pans were carried up our grandstand stadium rows! The frantic teams began to fill in. One pan was going to finish off our row and the one right behind us!
Not only did I get a corn dog; mine was hotter than the ones I had been passing a few minutes before!!
Once again I was reminded that God takes care of His Children, lots of ways every day!
Dear God, thank You for the inner dialogue that You give to all of us as Your Children. Thank You for the way You take care of all of us so many ways every day that we don't even recognize. Thank You that when we do the right thing and take care of others, You do Your thng and take care of us. Help me to do that 'right thing' the next time I have the opportunity. I know that I will need Your help.
In the name of Your Son who taught us the way. Amen.
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