True stories from the memories of
                                             Leona Jean Ondrejka Boreen Wenzel


                                   "Matches That Wouldn't Light"

It was a sunny day in Poynette, Wisconsin. Our little 3 bedroom home that my parents rented was just over a hill in the country. My older brother, David, had walked to school, which was about 1/8 of a mile from our home. It was a one room school with all 8 grades taught by Mrs. Burt.

My mother was resting in her bedroom with my brand new baby brother, Dennis, who was only a few months old. Sometimes I would crouch down by a dresser when she laid down to take a nap. I was afraid of someone seeing me and taking me away, so I would hide until she woke up. I guess I thought I was too old to take a nap at 3 & 4 years old.

This day was different. I was outside by myself while my mother was resting. Today was not one of those days where I was afraid and hid. I was looking for something to do. I wanted to go to school like my big brother, David, who was 6 already. Why I didn't play with my dollies I don't know. I had plenty of them. Seems like every birthday and Christmas I got a new doll. Well, being only 3 or 4 that would mean only 6 or 7 dolls, wouldn't it?

As I was sitting on the front step of our open porch, with elbows on my knees, hands holding up my head, I Iooked at the window above the porch. I saw a little box on the window sill. I took the little box in my hand and managed to figure out how to slide open the little insert that held the matches. I remembered watching my daddy light these. Somehow he would rub it along side the box. So I thought I would try it to see if I could light one, or two, or three. Fire is fascinating to most kids. I was no different.

Right beneath the window sill was a big metal dirty can. I didn't take much notice of it. I used it to lay the broken matches on when I failed over and over to light them. At 3 or 4 years old, I didn't realize the danger I was in by lighting a match next to a gas can.

My mother woke up from her sleep. Maybe our guardian angels talked it over and said they had better awaken my mom before I blew myself up. I'm not sure why she happened to come outside just at that moment. But when she stepped outside and saw the matches in my hand and the gas can with all those broken matches lying on it, she went into a rage of FEAR, grabbed my arm, and with a whammo, whammo, whammo of her other hand on my behind, marched me into the house, all the time saying "Leona Jean, you could have blown yourself up!! That was very dangerous!! You're lucky to be alive!! You could have burned the house down!! Go to your room right now!!" I don't remember if that spanking was painful or not, but I do remember that playing with matches was not a good idea! Not when it brought on that reaction! You can be sure that when I saw matches again I was not anxious to light them! Whew, at that time I was glad I survived the spanking.

I am very lucky to be alive. I could have blown myself up if the matches lit and touched the gas or even the fumes from that gas can. God was watching over me, again! When we get to heaven we will be able to see how many times God spared our lives. I think God is going to have a huge screen to show us all the times he helped us.

Does this story remind you of this statement "Idle hands are the devils workshop"? It certainly is true here. When children or adults are not busy doing good, Satan steps in and does his best to tempt you to do evil. He doesn't care who gets hurt as long as he can distract you from God's love and protection.

You may know these songs and sing them:

"Angels are watching over me, I am glad, I am glad. Angels are watching over me. Thank God for angels bright." That sure is a short song, isn't it?

God sends his angels to watch over us and they also write down in the books of heaven everything you do, say, watch, and think. Is there anything you want erased from those books? When you pray you can ask God to tell you what it is that would keep you from going to heaven. Then the Holy Spirit can speak to you and will tell you, like a still, small voice in your ear or mind. If he is telling you to tell someone you're sorry for hurting them, or if you have been mean or disrespectful to your mom or dad, He will tell you to say "I'm sorry". That's called repenting. Then those things that you repent of will be erased from the books in heaven. Revelation 3:19-22, Isaiah 43:25, Matthew 4:17

Another song is "Jesus sends the angels, angels, angels, Jesus sends the angels to watch me while I'm playing." I'm so glad we have guardian angels to watch us at all times. While we play, sleep, work and study, they are there.

another song I like, " Oh be careful little hands what you do, Oh be careful little hands what you do. For our Father up above, He is looking down in love, Oh be careful little hands what you do." If you know this song you can sing the next verse to say "Oh be careful little feet where you go", and "Oh be careful little eyes what you see", and "Oh be careful little mouth what you say", and "Oh be careful little ears what you hear".

Soon I will have the songs on here so you can listen to them and learn them.

If you remember something that happened to you, you can write to me and I will put your true story on my web page so others can read it and learn from it.
Updated 8/14/07