What Is A Godwink?

I’ve always felt that things happen for a reason; I believe in divine intervention. Sometimes I don’t understand it until years later.  Back in the early 2000s when I was teaching middle school, I often heard the parents of my students or those I worked with using the term “God Wink.” Since I know that God has a plan for us, I began to use the term taken from the book written by Squire Rushnell. Here’s how the author defines it:

WHAT'S A GODWINK?

by Squire Rushnell, “The Godwink Guy”

"It was truly a “Godwink” that my first book of hope and encouragement was released just before 9/11, almost as if it was predestined to help a hurting nation. The new word “Godwinks” quickly entered into the language meaning those little “coincidences” that weren't coincidence, but instead, from divine origin. The word itself evolved while writing my first book, When God Winks. I found myself wondering, “If there’s no coincidence to coincidence, what do you call it?” My wonderful wife Louise and I talked and prayed about it for weeks. One day the new little word floated into my consciousness⎯ “Godwink” ... it was fun and friendly like “Godsend” or “Godspeed”.

Recently, I began thinking about God Winks again and grew curious about how to understand “coincidences” or how to know that God is guiding me. Though the author clearly has some outstanding examples from famous people far above my paygrade, he gives us ways to understand how/why things happen in our own lives.

I began with the introduction to the book, reading slowly when p xxii caught my attention.  Once I finished the introduction, I followed Mr. Rushnell's advice and sat with my eyes closed, like in a meditative state, and went back into time as far as my memory would allow and began seeing things as ‘turning events.’  I listed them as quickly as I could, and then I began to journal about them. I can’t lie. My first God Wink was a dog that God persisted that my family acknowledge as my pet. In a childlike way, I named him Pal and only now do I see how deeply symbolic that name was. As I journaled, I sat with tears streaming down my face. My PAL served a purpose in my life. A God Wink.

I’m hoping that in the future, I will be able to determine how God is directing me…in the moment. He brings people, and things, and events into our lives for our greater good. Now with God’s grace, may we see that He is leading the way.

Mama & Papa McNair in Real Life

 The following notes may or may not have been added so I will post them here. These memories are sidenotes from my mother. As I add information about Frank and Ella's adult children, there will be more memories and recollections of this family. It seems as if they were always there for Mimi and Pappy (Ava & J.C. Jones).

Mama and Papa

Papa never did bless Ava’s marriage to Joe Carroll.  Ava was acquainted with an ambitious upcoming young man who Papa knew she would marry.  When she fell in love with Carroll, Papa was adamantly against it.  Papa knew the night that they were going to ask him if they could get married, and he went on to bed before they got home.  They went in to his bedside anyway to ask for his permission.  He said she could if she wanted to, but that he would not bless the marriage.  Papa was a minister and did not even attend the marriage.

When Jo was born, Ella saved her life.  Others, including the doctor, didn’t expect Jo to live to the morning.  Ella worked through the night clearing Jo’s passageways of mucus, etc. and literally breathed life back into Jo.  Jo lived to be 63 years old.  When Carolita was born, Ella and Charles took Jo in order to help Ava, who had 3 infants in diapers.  They taught her to walk, and potty trained her, and when life returned to normal for Ava and Joe, Jo returned home.

Aunt Jo greets them on Sunday morning. There must have been a tremendous bond between the two. 

Papa and Mama didn’t enjoy being around all the kids.  They thought they had no table manners and Mama would tell Ava that if she didn’t know what would become of the kids if she didn’t get a handle on them.

When Ava and Carroll’s house burned down, they traveled that night to the McNair’s in Electra.  The next morning Papa cleaned the children up and combed their hair and took them to get shoes and socks.

They raised EVERYTHING they ate, except for flour, sugar, coffee, corn meal, etc.  They were excellent gardeners and canned most of their food to store for the winter.

            

I love these pictures of Mama McNair. She and Papa lived life earnestly, honestly and with the highest integrity. I'm proud to be their great-granddaughter.

Papa is in God's Hands

 

Papa's Ministry is Recalled

 This news article was in the Vernon Daily Record on 30 April 1967. 

Papa's Letter to His Grandson, Dexter

 I was in correspondence with Benona's son, Dexter. He kindly shared the beautiful letter that Papa (Charles Franklin McNair) wrote to him. The photocopy was smudged so he translated the letter as best as he could. Frank McNair was in tune with life as it is on earth.

Benona McNair Parnell - Frank and Ella's daughter

1963

Ada Benona McNair Parnell

My Grandmother's sister

Benona died at age 44 of Lymphosarcoma. 

Pictured below: Benona, sons Robert Dexter & Mac Howard Parnell

This picture was taken in Thalia Texas probably about 1946. They were visiting my grandmother, Ava Jones, Bennie's sister. Ava and J.C. Jones lived across the street from the Thalia schools. 

 Left to Right: Benona, Dexter, Mac Parnell - Doris Jones Jackson, Mitch Jackson, Faye Jones, Truman Quillin, Sr, Truman Bryan Quillin Jr.

Sitting on Papa's Lap

1958

Charles Franklin McNair, our great-grandfather, came for a visit in Vernon, Texas. We lived in the house on Texas Street.

pictured below: Nancy, Bryan, Paula, Papa