A Cracked Egg

By Sarah Levine

Cracked Egg, a true story, begins at the earliest age remembered. It is based on memory as understood then and now. Marriage, at much too young an age, could have contributedand probably did contributeto the stumble resulting in problems that grew and grew.

Feelings and beliefs are evident throughout each chapter that promotes considerate thought as to what is right, wrong, and good in life as seen in the cracked eggs family. The cracked eggs life and family picture how sin developed to follow generation after generation.

God continued blessing this imperfect egg during the failures, or sins, as responsibilities for the problems were acknowledged and accepted. Life experiences, blessings, and beliefs are shared to generate and initiate other peoples beliefs.

Would you believe that failure to tithe, regardless of the reason, would cause you not to be able to continue teaching Sunday school? It happened? You will have to read to believe.

The most spiritual family member, among the youngest, was taken to paradise. This death guided and taught endurance and understanding of the question Why?

A lesson in forgiveness was learned after other family member caused tremendous hurt prior to a large storm. Many changes have been accomplished in the cracked eggs life and the story illuminates this as it moves through chapter by chapter.

Hopefully this story will provide insight to others before they tumble down a mountain of regrets. God bless every person who reads this story.

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Dec 31, 2013
• ISBN: 9781490820903

Sarah Levine

Sarah LeVine and Robert A. LeVine have collaborated for forty-seven years and have written two previous books, Child Care and Culture and Literacy and Mothering. Sarah is an anthropologist who has conducted research on four continents and coordinated the fieldwork of the Project on Maternal Schooling. Her books include Dolor y Alegria, Mothers and Wives, and The Saint of Kathmandu.

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A CRACKED EGG

Sarah Levine

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Copyright © Sarah Levine.

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ISBN: 978-1-4908-2089-7 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4908-2090-3 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2013923335

WestBow Press rev. date: 12/27/2013

INDEX

Chapter 1   What I Remember from My Early Years

Chapter 2   Married Too Young

Chapter 3   After Divorce

Chapter 4   Could Not Live without a Man

Chapter 5   Sin Runs into the Third and Fourth Generations

Chapter 6   Divorce Number One

Chapter 7   Divorce Ten Years Later

Chapter 8   Action of Your Family

Chapter 9   A Will after Death Can Destroy What Is Left

Chapter 10   The Beginning of More Trouble

Chapter 11   Another Divorce

Chapter 12   A Minister but Not a Pastor

Chapter 13   A Real True Friend

Chapter 14   Life after Retirement

Chapter 15   Sunday School and Church

Chapter 16   What Time Is It, and What Is Time?

Can this cracked egg be salvaged? Can she be useful?

Is she dangerous? Has she been hurt? Before reading

these true stories, think about these questions.

CHAPTER 1

What I Remember from My Early Years

My mother married a man twenty or so years older than she. His previous wife had died, and he had a son of school age—who I hardly remember. No one talked about him, and I have seen pictures of him only a couple of times. He looked like my dad. My mother did not seem to like the child, which is really sad. Then I came along, and I was not the prettiest child ever born. Even so, my daddy thought I was beautiful, if I am remembering correctly. I have actually forgotten most of my younger life, perhaps because I wanted to forget. So I will tell you what I remember. What do you remember of your own early life?

After I was in the first grade, my dad moved our family from a city to a hundred acres he purchased in the country. My mother was not too happy; I understand now why she felt that way. They had another child six years after me. She was petite, with long blonde hair. My mother later finished school and college and then taught school herself. I was supposed to take care of the newest child and do whatever she wanted. I do not remember how we slept, whether we had two beds or one. We had a two-bedroom house. It was considered a really nice house and was built in 1940.

I don’t remember celebrating a Christmas, although I know we had Christmases. I remember my dad playing checkers and rook with me. I do not remember my mother ever telling me she loved me. I am sure she did, though, in her own ways. She made me pretty clothes and let me date when I got older, even though I was much too young. She allowed me to date the coach. This was a bad mistake. It resulted in the teachers giving me considerable grief at school, and I had to transfer to another school the following year. This was not good, either, since no one ever fits in at a new school when transferring as a senior.

I had gone to summer school, intending to finish a year early. Having a good time during my third summer resulted in my being one credit short to finish a year early. I was only fifteen when I started attending summer school. I needed to catch a bus from the country to the city. I was supposed to park the car in the little town and ride the bus. I did so for a while, and then I decided I would just drive—until a lady in the neighborhood saw me pass the bus and told my parents. They stopped my driving immediately, since at fifteen I did not have a driver’s license.

The strange thing is that I was not allowed to hang around with the girls after school. During my teenage years, I certainly could not go anywhere, so I would have been better off having fun with the girls than dating guys at this young age. Then I would have had nowhere to go except to school and church with the girls. Most families owned only one vehicle during the forties. As a result, we had limited transportation during this time of my life.

I know that I was baptized when I was about eight. As I remember, my baptism was done in the creek—Turkey Creek, I guess. I was a member of a very small country church. It was a wonderful Baptist church. Why can I not remember how old I was, what year I was baptized, or something more? So much I do not remember. Of course, there was not much value placed on memories in those days … nor is there now, for that matter. Whether I was truly saved at that time has been a question I’ve thought about. I know that God has forgiven me, that I am saved and have been for a long time. I have always told God I believed in and accepted Jesus Christ as my Savior. Have I sinned? Yes indeed, but I ask to be forgiven, and I know that I have been forgiven. I just hope that disclosing my mistakes—what others call sins—will be beneficial to someone. I hope that others will not repeat any of my wrong choices.

You do have to pay dearly for your sins, and it usually goes on for years. You must learn how to handle the problems you create and the problems you cause in your life. You will be punished; that is a fact. Otherwise, the egg will crack open completely and not be usable, resulting in just a wasted egg. Depression can creep into your life if you are not careful. Working is good for everyone. It can prevent many illnesses since you have more things to think about than yourself.

Our church was a great old Baptist country church, with good ministers and loving people. I can still see this old church any time I think of it. I had a friend from that church until last year. We were not as close as we should have been, because my lifestyle is so different. I have always worked and still do. She and her boyfriend would sit in that old church, and you could