Today, I had the pleasure of speaking with a young lady from Mississippi, employed with a large computer company.
I had questions about my account, when our subject suddenly changed. I somehow heard or detected a slight hint of this young lady, being upset.
I had a credit card that had been jeopardized, and I was adding a new one for my iCloud storage etc.
We began discussing my account, what it was used for, and my website. In the middle of our discussion, I told her I was sorry for her unpleasant experience. I explained I understood, my profession can become the same way from time to time.
Hearing a beautiful southern voice, I learned she was an ole Miss graduate, and sweet as sugar,
Given the fact we are living in a pandemic, people losing jobs, and living in many day-in, day-out unprecedented situations, we can become irritable and unpleasant to others.
Certainly, most don’t intend to be unkind, it just happens. I have had to say I am sorry many times in the past few months.
This young lady began telling me about her childhood. Her granny was very definite about their behavior as children. She would remind them they were all family and they had to live together. Arguing and fighting, well, that just was not allowed, or accepted.
If they did get into fights, she was quick to scold them. They could voice their opinions, but her granny was the final word. She taught them no one was better, or superior to the other. In the end, it didn’t matter. She was quick to remind them, “Dust to dust, sweetheart!”
In fact, she explained, if someone spoke unkindly to her, like her grandmother, she often replied using her granny’s words, “Dust to dust, sweetheart!” Surely they would know it’s meaning, or maybe not.
Perhaps they would “google” it. How funny.
No where in our conversation did she mention how much stuff her granny had, how rich she was, OR if she went to college. Nope. It was about her granny’s reminder we are human. Dust to dust, we will return.
I told her about my sweet Aunt Nancy. She taught me at an early age to love Jesus. I remember her flour sack aprons with small roses on them. Oh my, I wish I still had one. I would sit and watch her pedal away on her old Singer, while singing songs about Jesus. Memories.
WE ARE ALL DUST TO DUST, SWEETHEART! From birth to death, we are all sinners. Not one of us is superior to the other, be it education, or no education. Rich or poor. Wealthy or not wealthy. Pretty or not pretty. We are all children of God. He has no favorites.
Sinner or saint, her granny would say, it doesn’t matter to God. He has no grandchildren.
I don’t believe Jesus cares about stuff. He only cares that we know and love Him, and we have accepted him as our Savior.
We, as humans, can never live up to His expectations.
Without Him, we would be nothing. So we keep pressing forward, as Paul said, trusting and believing. Without him, we would be, “like a ship without a sail.” Sweet Jesus.
Why is it so hard to tell someone, “I’m sorry?” Once you begin, it becomes easier, don’t you think? Just do it.
I remember reading a story about death from an American literature class. In the end, the author refers to death as the great equalizer. How true. As her granny put it, we were born into this world without anything, and we are going out the same way, alone.
We don’t have the right to be unkind and mean to others. As a matter of fact, Christ says we have no rights. Wow! Didn’t see that one coming.
Your next breath comes from Christ and is to go back to Christ.
Without Him, we have nothing, but with Him we have everything! He directs our lives.
I must say, I love hearing Elvis sing, “Without Him.” It soothes my soul.
“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing!” And we all said Amen!
Today, talking with this young lady, I learned much about her grandmother. Extraordinary in the ordinary. An ear to hear. She learned about my Aunt Nancy.
DUST TO DUST, from birth to death.
Her grandmother would be proud of her sharing her nuggets of gold she taught them.
I am so glad God brought her into my life today!
“Before people can pray to the Lord for help, they must BELIEVE in him. Before they can BELIEVE in the Lord, they must HEAR about him........”. Romans 10:14.
Now, you have HEARD about Jesus! The rest is up to you! I think I will go dig in my garden. I connected with my sweet relatives today.
Interesting how a simple phone conversation with a stranger can be so rewarding.
An eye to see, and an ear to hear. Be on the alert. You never know when or where Christ
will visit you.
LOVE MY HOLLYHOCKS! DID YOU KNOW HOLLYHOCKS WERE USED TO HIDE OLD
OUTHOUSES? A LITTLE SERENDIPITY!
PARADISE - ONE OF MY FAVORITE HYBRID TEAS!
