By Vernalee
Today is s a day of reflection.
Said simply and shortly. Sometimes - we have to let things go - plain and simple.
Moving on without the weight of being held down may be best for our soul.
Let them go and go on with your life!
Vernalee
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Vernalee
By Vernalee
Years ago, on one of my daughter’s summer vacation trips to Glen Allan, Mississippi, she and her girlfriends were in church. Mischievous, the adolescents decided to “get happy” pretending that they had been filled with the spirit of the Holy Ghost. As they were allegedly “shouting,” the little girls started rolling on the floor calling on The Lord. Much to her chagrin, when my daughter opened her eyes, she saw her perturbed Grandmother standing before her. Her Grandma Phoebe with her Bible in her hands sternly said to her namesake, “Little Phoebe, if you don’t get up off that floor, I am gonna tear your tail up! You don’t play with God!” Telling the story invokes laughter now, but it wasn’t funny to my daughter at the time. In fact, it was quite embarrassing. It did however teach her about the sacredness of God and provided a lifelong spiritual lesson.
Galatians 6:7 states, “Do not be deceived. God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.” Although this story is one of her favorite spiritual childhood memories and Grandma stories about her trips to Mississippi, she holds dear Galatians 6:9 as a spiritual cornerstone. “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time, we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” She also learned that her Granny didn't take no mess!
These are the stories of old that will never fade away; stories that we keep near and dear in our hearts. Though her Granny (and my Mother) has gone to be with the Lord, the indelible memories of her and the lessons that she taught us will live on forever - from one generation to the next!
By Vernalee
This prophetic African proverb, "When an old man (or old woman) dies a library burns," helps you to appreciate how much history, knowledge, and wisdom our parents, grandparents... carried in their minds and souls. It makes you value the time that you had to spend with them. Oh my, what a blessing!
It is a treasured resource as to how much you benefited from their wisdom. Truly, they were reservoirs of information filled with family history; mostly unwritten. You were enriched from the nectar of their lips when they kissed you and from the sweetness of the time you spent together. They taught so many valuable lessons. While some of the information that departed from their mouths is fresh in our minds, we should take the time to record what they pass down so we can share with generations to come. Sorely missed many are! There have been so many times that I wanted to ask my Mother questions and seek her advice, but her voice is no more. It is for those reasons that we should treasure and respect what we have in our elders as long as we can. So much lived within their walls, and so much faded in the sunset when we lost them. For those who are remaining, while their nostrils pump out warm air, we should squeeze and grab as much of them as often and as long as we can! We'll be glad that we did!
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