“Kindness First” Attitude

 

 

This morning in strolling through Proverbs, I saw so many juicy fruits that were just right for the picking...

 

I sampled the fruit from Proverbs three

And chose the select fruit that tasted best to me.

And from that fruit, this poem was born

When I was a little girl, I was

One of the best liars that could be

Yes, Y'all, I could lie with the best of them

While keeping a straight face

And adding in the necessary details

So that my lie could be embraced.

Now, don't get me wrong, I did not choose

To be a liar because I liked it so

I chose to lie to keep from getting my

Momma's switch put to my backside

Don't you know?

But, my Momma, as sharp as she was

Would always find me out

She knew how to get around my lies

About that, there was no doubt!

After the lying was over, my backside was sore

And my eyes ran with tears

Momma would always hug me and say

"If you had told Momma the truth

I wouldn't have had to whip you this way."

I thought to myself, "Okay, that means that

If I do something bad again

Momma won't whip me because she said

All I had to do was tell her the truth."

And armed with that logic in my head

I was determined to do, within limits, pretty much

What I wanted, because I remembered those

Glorious words that Momma had said.

So, one day my favorite cousin asked me to

Walk down the street to the grocery store

To get some things that her mother wanted

When we got to the store, we looked at

All of the penny candies displayed

In little boxes on the store shelf

And having the perverse mind of a youth

Since we didn't have a nickel to buy

What we wanted, we decided to help ourselves.

Now, mind you, my cousin was the one

Who came up with the idea and

Stole the first piece and stole another piece

With me looking on, and though we

Usually shared everything, she would

Not share her candy with me

But, told me that I had to get my own.

She showed me how to watch until the

Clerk's back was turned,

And with that, my first piece of

Stolen candy was earned

-The most pieces I took was two or three

But, while I was waiting outside

My cousin took about twenty!

-The cashier fussed at us and said

That she knew how many banana kits

And Coconut Longboys she had had-

We paid the bill and made our way toward home

And we thought nothing about the stern look

The delivery boy gave us on his way to deliver

The groceries that my aunt had ordered

But I did wonder why he, who liked to

Stall for time, instead of riding along and

Talking to us, the shortcut across the field, he took.

And wouldn't you know it, that happened to be the day

Of my Momma's regular off day, and as we crossed

The yard, I saw that she was standing in the door

With her hands on her hips and asked me

What I had to say.

I gulped and looked at my cousin

Who was eyeing her Momma holding the ironing cord

And before I could put on my innocent act

And ask Momma what she was talking about

My cousin opened her mouth, and her version of things came out.

She told my Momma and hers, too

That I had been the one to come

Up with the idea of taking the candy

And that she, unlike me, only took one piece at a time.

I was so astounded to be lied on

That I never thought about spinning a lie

To top the one that she told

I just opened my mouth and while mumbling

Let the truth unfold

Because I knew that since I told her the truth

The most that she'd do to me was to scold

Ha, ha, ha, I betcha I never took

Anything else that was not mine

Being a child to which pain was intolerable

I learned to be good and never to do a particular thing again.

But, I do remember that Momma apologized

For having to whip me, and asked me not to be sad

And I replied, "Well, the only reason I told you

The truth is that you said that if I did

Something, just to tell you the truth, (sniff, sniff)

And I'm not ever going to tell the truth again

And get myself in trouble!" I remember that she

Looked at me with a sad, wistful, little smile

Then, she wiped it off and told me that

Jesus did not like liars.

Well, I had wanted to make Momma feel a little sorry

For whipping me, but I did not feel like a winner

At all; I kept thinking over and over about the magicalJesus

Who was so powerful and did not like me because I

Was so good at lying

I was so upset that all I did was pick over my dinner.

And the next Sunday we had a Sunday School

Lesson that talked about how all liars would

Have their part in the lake of fire

And I determined then and there, to

No more, be called a liar

And I also determined within myself, as well

That GOD was all-powerful and that

HE was always looking, and that is why

You will hear me say even today

GOD sees; HE knows, and HE cares.

 

When we bring a child into this world, some of us do not fully comprehend the seriousness of our lifelong task of being a mother. As I have said many times before, we train a soul for or against the LORD GOD. And this pandemic has given us more time with our children- So let's use it wisely.

Yes, lessons I learned as a child still stick with me today. My Momma taught me that GOD sees, knows, and cares, but life sealed this knowledge inside of me! And say what they will, nobody can call me a liar and be telling the truth. The preacher's daughter walks with "the daughter of the preacher's daughter," still.

And always remember how blessed we are as long as GOD looks upon us with favor. (Proverbs 3:4) And HE will, if we keep Proverbs 3:3-4 in our hearts and let those words govern our lives. Be safe.

Note: Oh, and the candy we stole? I had to walk back down to the store by myself and tell the woman what we had done and pay her a quarter and apologize. Oh, my cousin, she did not have to go back and apologize. But, I remember that the lady thanked me and told me she admired me for having the courage to do the right thing. I told her that I had to because that was what my Momma said.

 

Walking by faith,

Alma L. Stepping On Carr-Jones