Campmeeting

Soon after Lana and Neil moved to Georgia they met Carol and her husband Willie at the church they attended. Lana and Carol spent many of their days together delivering gift baskets and going to different warehouses. It soon became a tradition for them to attend their church's camp meetings every year in July. Carol needed to get away for a few days, and Lana was eager to go. Each year they left on Wednesday to travel three hours into south Georgia and stayed until Sunday afternoon. 

This year they had loaded up Carol's SUV with coolers of drinks and bags of snacks. They ate their meals at the camp kitchen, or they drove into a nearby town at one of the restaurants there. But, while in their dorm room on the campgrounds, where they were most of the time, they indulged as they liked. There were camp meetings three times a day, but in between the girls stayed in their room. The idea was for rest, especially for Carol. And the best part about being there for Carol was that there was no cell phone service. She could get away from her business and especially her family, and that was a great time for her. The two got along so well, and they ate and talked and prayed and slept all day long for four wonderful days.

The weather was hot, always. Another good reason to stay in. But, Lana still enjoyed seeing the areas they drove through. She loved driving past the cotton fields. They actually stopped along the side of the road so she could get out of the car for a closer look. They drove past fruit stands along the road that had fresh peaches and tomatoes and Vidalia onions.  And the campground was thick with huge trees with moss hanging from the limbs. Indeed, Lana saw many sights in Georgia that she had not seen before moving there.

They had been there for two days, meeting new friends, visiting with old ones. The messages and the gospel music were great, each finding lots to discuss when they got back to their room. Both ladies had a full size bed and were all settled in for the night. Carol was doing most of the talking tonight, and Lana was tired. She lay listening to Carol prattle on about this and that, half listening, half dozing.

"I figgered I'd go off without it." Carol was saying, and continued, "I left my Wigglesworth on the kitchen table. I was going to put it in my purse, but I forgot and went off without it." Carol was laying on the bed and filing her nails, lost in thought.

Lana opened her eyes and looked over at Carol. 

"What did you say?"

"I said, I wanted to bring my Wigglesworth, but I left it on the kitchen table," answered Carol. 

Lana let those words sink in her mind for a few seconds, and then she began to giggle.

"Well, what did you think I said?" asked Carol, not seeing anything that was funny.

Lana couldn't answer because she was giggling too hard. She had no idea what a Wigglesworth was, but it had to be something very strange. She was laughing too hard to ask. The more she laughed, the more indignant Carol became. A Wigglesworth was nothing to laugh at.

Carol reached up and turned off her bed lamp and listened to Lana giggle. 

"What's WRONG with you?" Carol drawled her famous question, and Lana laughed all the louder.

When Lana had her giggling under control, Carol spoke up.

"I know what your problem is. You don't have any idea who I'm talking about, do you?"

"Wigglesworth is a who?" Lana thought that was even funnier.is

"Smith Wigglesworth was a famous evangelist and faith healer way, way back a hundred years ago or so.  His devotionals are real good, and Willie gave me one for Christmas last year. Now, don't you feel ashamed of yourself for laughing at a poor old preacher?" At that, Carol actually laughed out loud herself. It definitely was a very different name.

The two spent the next few minutes giggling about Smith Wigglesworth's funny name, and Carol told more of what she knew about the man and his ministry. He supposedly healed many people, which Lana was still trying to come to grips with in her faith. She listened intently as she always did with Carol until there was a bit of a lull. They both lay quietly in their beds and pondered all these things. Lana spoke first.

"I'm not sleepy anymore." And Carol agreed.

"What do you want to talk about?" Carol asked.

"I dunno." Lana looked over at the clock. "Maybe a snack would make us tired again."

"I can't eat anything cause I brushed my teeth. I ain't gonna brush my teeth twice in one night."

Carol got out of her bed and shuffled over to one of her plastic containers. She removed the lid from the box and said with a grin, "However," She turned her head slowly and glanced furtively at Lana.

Lana smiled. "What have you got in that box, girl? Don't tell me! Have you got chocolate cupcakes in that container? Carol! You didn't!"

And Carol grinned from ear to ear.

"My friend," she announced in her sweet southern drawl, "it sure is a good thing we're a going to church in the morning. We're gonna have a lot of repenting to do."