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 will live on forever - from one generation to the next!
Photo credit: www.it’sablackthang.com
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