National Nuggets: Cox Corridor - Part 1 - SC Delegation Prayer Breakfast

Essentially, what you will be learning about is the Cox Corridors in the US Capitol and its significance to DAR, but learning about the corridors is part of a larger story that I would like to share with you.  I hope you enjoy each chapter of the story I share and learn things that you did not know.  The next time you are in our nation's capital, I hope that you will go see the corridors for yourself.

When Congressman Norman was first running for the SC District 5 Congressional Seat, he attended a meet and greet in Winnsboro. Mama had the privilege of meeting him where he learned about my father's sacrifice in serving his country in Vietnam and about the poem he wrote to me for my 2nd birthday.  Norman was fascinated by the story and asked for a copy of the poem.  Mama passed away before it was sent; however, The Almighty had bigger and better plans of which I was the recipient. 

God arranged for Congressman Norman to visit the plant where I work as part of Clean Energy Week.  I was put in charge of his visit.  Remembering Mama's time with him and her promise to give him a copy of the poem, I prepared a packet reminding him of his visit with Mama and my father's story with the poem. (Of course during his visit, I utilized all of my page training and ran the visit with all of the proper protocol, introductions, and timing to meet his schedule for the visit including meeting each member of the staff and having individual pictures made.   Everyone here was taken aback and so impressed by what happened while I was simply in my element doing what is second nature to me.  I know all of you former DAR pages are shaking your head thinking about exactly how that was done remembering times like this!) 

Congressman Norman remembered my mother and the poem!  He asked me if I ever came to DC.  All of you DAR ladies know the answer to that question!  When he found out that I came to DC for Continental Congress, he said that he wanted to take me to lunch while I was there if our schedules could accommodate that.  In turn, I wanted to take him on a tour of the Cox Corridors.  Unfortunately, our schedules did not, but fortunately for me, I received a special invitation in place of having lunch.  Congressman Norman called Senator Tim Scott and asked for special permission for me to attend the Annual SC Delegation Prayer Breakfast.  The next thing I know I am receiving an invitation from Senator Scott to attend the breakfast held in the Kennedy Caucus Room!

The architecture in this room is beautiful!

What a privilege to receive this invitation and to attend this most special event.  Of course, I wanted to learn about the breakfast and its history.  What I learned is that the members of the South Carolina Delegation, both Senators and Representatives, both Democrat and  Republican, as well as their respective staff attend this annual breakfast which was begun 11 years ago by then Senator Jim DeMint.  When DeMint retired and Scott was appointed, DeMint asked Scott to make the commitment to continue the Prayer Breakfast.  Scott gave DeMint his word that it would continue.

The format for the breakfast is a good South Carolina breakfast with yes, you guessed it, grits (and cheese grits at that) cooked to perfection! Following the breakfast portion, the invocation was given by the Chaplain of the United States Senate who happens to be a South Carolinian!  Scott stated that he attends the Chaplain's weekly Bible study, and I can see why.  His invocation was beautiful. Scott welcomed and introduced special guests of the event.  He then proceeded to present the verse he had chosen for the breakfast and briefly spoke about why the verse was chosen.  He then introduced each member of the delegation who was present who shared the way in which the verse spoke to them.

This year the verse chosen by Senator Scott was Mark 4:20.  It reads from the KJV "And they which are sown on good ground; such as hear the word, receive it, and bring forth fruit, some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some an hundred, and from the NIV "Others, like seed sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it, and produce a crop - some thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times what was sown."

In the next blog post, I will share the sentiments expressed by our delegation.  Let me just say, that God must be looking on South Carolina with a special fondness in His heart.  I wonder how many other delegations have an annual prayer breakfast that celebrate God, His word, and the way in which His word speaks to them in what they are attempting to do for their country.  It was a blessing to be a part of this!