BlessingS
Carol/MJ
Psalm 138:8
It just amazes me sometimes when I think about all the good friends that I have been blessed with. God is so good to me. I just want to say thank you, thank you, thank you all! I appreciate y'all being excited with me and encouraging me. Oh how I love you all!!!
BlessingS Carol/MJ Psalm 138:8
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THE OLD DENTED BUCKET
Our house was directly across the street from the clinic entrance of Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore. We lived downstairs and rented the upstairs rooms to out-patients at the clinic. One summer evening as I was fixing supper, there was a knock at the door. I opened it to see a truly awful looking man. "Why, he's hardly taller than my 8-year-old," I thought as I stared at the stooped, shriveled body. But the appalling thing was his face, lopsided from swelling, red and raw. Yet his voice was pleasant as he said, "Good evening. I've come to see if you've a room for just one night. I came for a treatment this morning from the eastern shore, and there's no bus 'til morning." He told me he'd been hunting for a room since noon but with no success, no one seemed to have a room. "I guess it's my face ...... I know it looks terrible, but my doctor says with a few more treatments ..." For a moment I hesitated, but his next words convinced me: "I could sleep in this rocking chair on the porch. My bus leaves early in the morning." I told him we would find him a bed, but to rest on the porch.. I went inside and finished getting supper. When we were ready, I asked the old man if he would join us. "No, thank you. I have plenty." And he held up a brown paper bag. When I had finished the dishes, I went out on the porch to talk with him a few minutes. It didn't take a long time to see that this old man had an oversized heart crowded into that tiny body. He told me he fished for a living to support his daughter, her 5 children, and her husband, who was hopelessly crippled from a back injury. He didn't tell it by way of complaint; in fact, every other sentence was preface with a thanks to God for a blessing. He was grateful that no pain accompanied his disease, which was apparently a form of skin cancer. He thanked God for giving him the strength to keep going... At bedtime, we put a camp cot in the children's room for him. When I got up in the morning, the bed linens were neatly folded and the little man was out on the porch. He refused breakfast, but just before he left for his bus, haltingly, as if asking a great favor, he said, "Could I please come back and stay the next time I have a treatment? I won't put you out a bit. I can sleep fine in a chair." He paused a moment and then added, "Your children made me feel at home. Grownups are bothered by my face, but children don't seem to mind." I told him he was welcome to come again. And, on his next trip, he arrived a little after 7 in the morning. As a gift, he brought a big fish and a quart of the largest oysters I had ever seen! He said he had shucked them that morning before he left so that they'd be nice and fresh. I knew his bus left at 4:00 a.m. And I wondered what time he had to get up in order to do this for us. In the years he came to stay overnight with us, there was never a time that he did not bring us fish or oysters or vegetables from his garden. Other times we received packages in the mail, always by special delivery; fish and oysters packed in a box of fresh young spinach or kale, every leaf carefully washed. Knowing that he must walk 3 miles to mail these, and knowing how little money he had made the gifts doubly precious. When I received these little remembrances, I often thought of a comment our next-door neighbor made after he left that first morning. "Did you keep that awful looking man last night? I turned him away! You can lose roomers by putting up such people!" Maybe we did lose roomers once or twice. But, oh!, if only they could have known him, perhaps their illnesses would have been easier to bear.. I know our family always will be grateful to have known him; from him we learned what it was to accept the bad without complaint and the good with gratitude to God. Recently I was visiting a friend, who has a greenhouse, as she showed me her flowers, we came to the most beautiful one of all, a golden chrysanthemum, bursting with blooms.. But to my great surprise, it was growing in an old dented, rusty bucket. I thought to myself, "If this were my plant, I'd put it in the loveliest container I had!" My friend changed my mind. "I ran short of pots," she explained, "and knowing how beautiful this one would be, I thought it wouldn't mind starting out in this old pail. It's just for a little while, till I can put it out in the garden." She must have wondered why I laughed so delightedly, but I was imagining just such a scene in heaven. "Here's an especially beautiful one," God might have said when he came to the soul of the sweet old fisherman. "He won't mind starting in this small body." All this happened long ago - and now, in God's garden, how tall this lovely soul must stand.. The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart." (1 Samuel 16:7b) Friends are very special. They make you smile and encourage you to succeed. They lend an ear and they share a word of praise. Show your friends how much you care. Pass this on, and brighten someone's day. BlessingS Carol/MJ Psalm 138:8 As Lu and I were leaving Franco's last night, there was a couple sitting at the entrance waiting on a to go order. The man was sitting with not expression at all on his face. He was an older gentleman dressed in overalls. I was searching my pockets and purse for my keys. I said man I have way too many pockets and way too much stuff and smiled at them. The man's face just lit up and we all laughed. His whole countenance changed.... Sometimes I wonder how long its been since folks have even been noticed much less spoken too. I was being silly, I know, but to see the smile light up his face made me happy. It only takes a little effort to make eye contact and smile at someone. I've seen it work time and time again. I think I'm going to try and make a habit of it. If you know me very well at all you know I struggle with being bashful. Well, I'm done with that. With the Lord's help I'm gonna make it a goal to start speaking to more people.
We need each other. I always tell my church family at Silverado Cowboy Church that I come there for selfish reasons....to get hugs. I need them, I think we all do. We need to have a place to call home. Y'all know I love ya!! BlessingS Carol/MJ Psalm 138: It's been a busy but wonderful last couple of days. I couldn't get my computer to connect to the hotel wifi so I haven't written to y'all in a couple of days.
It sure was great to get to reconnect with some people I haven't seen in so many years. It's awesome how you can just pick right back up where you left off. I also got to make some new friends. Can't wait to see everybody again. The last message I got to hear this morning was Pastor Ronnie Trice. He was teaching on how to pray the New Testament way. You know you just need to get back to the basics sometimes. All you have to do is pray to God in Jesus Name and trust Him to to what He said He will do. Pretty simple huh? Wonder why it seems so hard sometimes..... Anyway try to keep it simple. I love y'all. Thanks again for all the sweet comments and for being excited with me!! BlessingS Carol/MJ Psalm 138:8 About a month ago my former pastor, Shawn O'Hearn, called me. He said he wanted to invite me to the Western Family Campmeeting. They are having an Honor Banquet and they wanted to honor Jeff and I and two other couples for our outstanding and faithful work for God's kingdom.... My heart was overwhelmed to say the least. Today I am packing and getting ready to go. The Honor Banquet is tomorrow night and all I can think about is how unfair it is to Jeff. Isn't that about the silliest thing you ever heard. He has gotten the ultimate reward. He is with the Lord!!! I'm so very grateful that the Lord chose me all those many years ago to go out and tell people about HIM. I know I wouldn't be the person I am today if it hadn't been for Jeff Hogner. He taught me more about Faith than anyone I've ever know. Again, I'm grateful, so very grateful for my time with Jeff. You are gone but not forgotten my dear....your legacy lives on through thousands of people you have shared your heart with. There's hardly a day that goes by that your name is not mentioned by someone. AND that's alright with me, your earned it!! Tomorrow night you will be honored by the peers that you loved so much!! Thank you Sir for letting me be a part of Jeff's life!!
BlessingS, I sure do love y'all!! Thank you so much for believing in this ministry and for being my family!!! Carol/MJ Psalm 138:8 When I was growing up I really didn't have a clue how good I had it. Not only did I have two wonderful parents, but I had a whole town looking out after me. My Dad and Mom had us in church every time the doors were open. We didn't always want to be there, but we were still learning. Learning how to be kind and thoughtful to others. Learning how much God loved us. Learning that if we didn't act right we were gonna get our butts busted, LoL. Bro Buddy Hazell was and is a huge part of the reason I love my Jesus so much. I saw God's love through him. My own Daddy is in heaven now. Bro Buddy, my #2 Daddy shows me his love every chance he gets. I'm so grateful to have a God that provides everything I need.....even #2 Daddy's!!! I love you Daddy!! Thank you Sir for all my blessingS
Y'all have a GREAT day too!! BlessingS Carol/MJ Psalm 138:8 |
PSM 138:8"The Lord will perfect those things that concerns you" Archives
April 2016
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