I recall a day early in our marriage when I drove to my parents house with
every intention of singing the “someone done me wrong song” to whom ever would
listen.
Now I don’t remember why I was in this sobbing condition at that
particular moment, but I was still in the “it’s all about me” stage that
had begun at birth, and lasted into my early thirties.
( At 33 I got born again in Christ Jesus.)
As I look back, I am grateful that my parents had the wisdom to distance
themselves from the personal aspects of our marital lives as much as possible. (For the most part, they didn’t intrude, take sides, or put in “their two cents worth”.)
So, it doesn’t surprise me that my Father did not allow me to cry all over mom’s
sofa for too long before piping up with a suggestion, “Hey Shug, I know what’ll
cheer you up!!”
Sniff. Sniff. “Oh, yeah? What’s that dad?”
“Got a great movie for you to watch, it’ll take your mind right off of your
troubles.”
In my most downcast voice,”Ok.”
(Ever the trusting daughter.)
Soooo … how many of you have ever read the book, or watched the move,”Where The Red Fern
Grows?”
Well, in case you are not familiar with it, let me fill you in. It is a true
story about the deep devotion between two dogs and their owner, a young boy who earned the money to buy them, he raised them, trained them, and had to bury them.
A classic movie but not quite the “knee slapper” I was expecting.
At the end of the movie, I wrung out mom’s sofa pillow, and turned to my dad with an incredulous look on my face.
“OOOOH MY GOSH DAD! How could you let me watch THAT at a time like THIS?”
Throwing back a fistful of salted peanuts he grinned, “Well, didn’t it take your mind off of your troubles? After all, at least you didn’t have two Redbone Coonhounds just die on you, did ya?”
I have to admit, I’m sure that my problems at the time did pale in comparison. I still
left their house somewhat depressed, but just not about the same things as before. (Lol!)
In his own unusual way, my Dad could make me smile.
(“I will forget my complaint, I will put off my sad face and wear a smile …”
Job 9:27)
My Father went home to be with the Lord in 2005, but come to think of it, he is still making me
smile.
And speaking of smiles …
A few weeks ago I was folding clothes, a chore I am not very fond of,
when I pulled out a pair of my husbands jeans from the dryer. They came out all
twisted and horribly wrinkled and I asked my hubby if he wanted me to iron them
to which he replied from the living room, “Naw, they’re just work jeans. It
doesn’t matter.”
I started to throw them on a hanger and be done with it, but suddenly I
stopped and muttered to myself, “No, my husband should not have to wear
wrinkled jeans, I’m going to iron these.”
At the same moment I know the Lord spoke these words to my heart, “Atta girl,” and I got a huge smile on my
face. I like to go out of my way to please my Heavenly Father, and I think it
makes Him smile, because it is pleasing to him when we go out of our way to do
things for others.
Not because we feel like we have to, rather because the love of Jesus Christ for
us is SO GREAT, we want to.
“And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus
Christ, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.” Col. 3:17
Keep smiling ….
Several years ago, I took my mother out for breakfast when I turned on the
radio and heard the chorus to a Christian song that I like called ‘Do Everything”…
“As you do everything you do to the glory of the One who made you–
cause He made you- to do every little thing that you do to bring a SMILE to His
face …”
At that very moment, I looked up at the sky and saw a cloud all by itself …
it was shaped like a huge smile!
“… and tell the story of grace – with every move that you make and every
little thing you do.”
… Because God smiles on you.
Contact Brenda Groves at: bkgroves1996@yahoo.com
