Living Above Life’s Circumstances

 Over six
decades ago, a mother living in poverty, with eight children and an abusive and
alcoholic husband, remained committed to faithful prayer, worship, and church
attendance in spite of her circumstances. Although Bertha Cornish died from
cancer in 1969 at just 44 years old, the legacy and impact of her prayers is
still unfolding.

Even with harsh
memories of a difficult childhood, several of Bertha’s children and some of
their own adult children are serving the Lord in ministry. One of those is U.S.
Missionary Sharon L. Thomas, who with her husband, Tim Thomas, ministered in
urban Chicago for many years. They now mentor other urban missionaries. Sharon
shared some of her story in a July 2018 AG News article.

Sharon’s
mother, Bertha Zielke was the fourth of thirteen children and was raised in an
Assemblies of God family in Corn, Oklahoma during the Great Depression. After
serving in WWII, John Cornish stopped at the Union Station in Wichita, Kansas,
where Bertha worked, and she fell for his charms as he talked about
Christianity. They were married in 1943, but harsh reality soon set in, as Bertha’s
marriage took a devastating turn.

John’s
struggles with alcohol and anger made it difficult for him to keep a job. The
family soon found themselves living on welfare and as children arrived, they
learned to expect the unexpected. The family eventually moved to a Whitewater,
Kansas, farmhouse without indoor plumbing or other conveniences.

Despite his
unhealthy behavior, John did not object to Bertha’s faith, although he did not
share it. In the evenings after chores, Bertha gathered the children for prayer
and singing from old hymnbooks. Sharon, the second oldest, recalls her father
even driving them to an Assemblies of God church, now Family Worship Center,
in nearby El Dorado, “if we had a car he hadn’t wrecked yet,” she recounts. The
family filled an entire pew, and Bertha enjoyed singing with other believers
saying, “I’m at home here.”

If the family
needed a ride to church, members made sure the family was picked up for
services. Among those helping regularly were the Browns, whose grandson
happened to be Tim Thomas.

Sharon is thankful
for her mother’s example of faith. “She never complained,” says Sharon. “We
were scared, but Mom didn’t sow bitterness into us. Family worship was peaceful
and we prayed for our dad. We also got strength from Sunday night altar
services at church.”  

Bertha taught
the children to live in and through adversity as a family, says Sharon. This has
helped inform the Thomas’ ministry and the ministry of Sharon’s brother, Dan,
who has also ministered in Chicago. Sharon and Dan state that they understand
teens who cling to familiar context, no matter how unhealthy it may be.

Bertha died
when her youngest child was just three years old; John died eight months later.
Years after his death, the children learned more about their father’s history, along
with more signs of God’s faithfulness.

A few years
ago, a woman reached out to Sharon via DNA testing. Comparing stories, it was
clear the woman’s father, Bob Silverthorn, was Sharon’s half-brother. Sharon
flew to Pennsylvania to meet her new-found sibling; they visited family graves
together and found yearbook photos of the deceased half-siblings.

Things got even
more interesting as Bob and Sharon shared about their own families. Bob was
adopted in New Jersey and raised in an Assemblies of God church, where he
accepted Jesus at age 12. His four children have all served the Lord in AG or
Pentecostal contexts, as have Sharon’s three children. Bob’s son in law, Rich
Johnson, also attended Central Bible College with Sharon’s daughter Andrea. After
time in pastoral ministry, Robin and Rich Johnson moved to Missouri where they
were involved at James River Church in Ozark, as well
as with Convoy of Hope, until both died from cancer. (Their story is shared in
the book Through the Valley.) Their sons, Rich and Jason Johnson—Sharon’s
great-nephews—attend and serve at James River Church, and great-niece Heather
Borchers and her husband, Josh, live in North Carolina where she is a project
manager for Elevation Church. With many mutual friends and ministry ties,
Sharon’s and Bob’s families enjoyed getting acquainted via Face-Time.

Sharon has
often thought about scripture verses in Psalms and Proverbs and the
faithfulness of God prevailing despite obstacles. For years she had also
wondered why, despite her mother’s prayers, her father never gave his life to
Christ. Then, her brother, Daniel, shared a memory he had long been hesitant to
voice.  

At 12, Daniel
was the oldest child still living at home when John moved the family to El
Dorado after Bertha’s death. John did not take the children to church or
welcome visits by church people, but one night in January, 1970, Daniel saw his
dad kneeling with their mother’s worn Bible open in front of him. The next day,
John died of a heart attack.

As chaotic as
the story seems, learning more of it has given Sharon some personal closure
about her mother’s prayers and even the possibility that her dad is in heaven.
“Mom lived above her circumstances,” Sharon says, “and I don’t think it would
have been possible without the power of the Holy Spirit.” It even seems that as
she prayed for her own family, Bertha’s prayers somehow encompassed
step-children she didn’t know about, with several landing in Christian
environments and even ministry.

“It makes no
sense,” says Sharon, “except with God! We won’t know the full story until
heaven, but just look at all that came of it.”