Beech Tree News Network

The word, omen, was rarely, or not at all used by older folks of my generation. They said, “TOKEN.” The two words are virtually the same. They both meant sign, or indication, a symbol of a future event or happening; good or evil.

For instance, a sailor’s omen: “Red sky at morning, sailors take warning. Red sky at night, sailors delight.”

Strange or unexplained events, for no apparent reason, happening out of the ordinary, more time than not called to kens.

My daddy was not a superstitious person. He didn’t believe in knocking-on-wood; he paid no attention if ten black cats crossed in front of him, he didn’t believe in ghosts (except the holy ghost) ; nor astrology. 

Yet, one night, as a young man walking home down a country road; just across the fence on his right side a choking and coughing dog began following my daddy. When he would stop so would the dog. When he walked up to the fence the coughing and choking would be immediately heard from out in the center of the field, way off.

The moon was bright yet he could see nothing of a dog. Once daddy picked-up a discarded old shoe and tossed it over the fence. Again, the coughing and choking sound moved to the middle of the field. When daddy resumed walking, the coughing and choking dog sound came back and walked with him just across the fence.

When daddy got home his folks told him one of the neighbors baby had died. The baby had choked to death. The coughing and choking dog was a “token.”

Once a similar thing happened to my Daddy’s parents, when they first married, I heard my Grandmother tell it.

Granddad and Mammaw were riding home back to a revival meeting at ‘Cold Cauley’s  Chapel” Church.

It was dusky, dark, the moon was out. As they rode along, they heard a chain rattling. It came on up and rattled right between their horses and on off. “The horses weren’t frightened,” she said.

When they got to church the people there told them, “George Danner’s baby had just died.” My grandparents called it a “token.”

The Bible speaks of signs and wonders in the last days. However, no one knows the length of these “last Days”. We do know that God does not reckon this as we do. God is, was, and always. 

I heard of a new record title lately: “I shaved my legs for this.” Is music getting better or what?

Kindest regards…