Hey Everybody! It’s nice to be writing a post again after a long break. Lately I’ve been thinking about Daddy and remembering past stories. He went home to be with Jesus 20 years ago today. I decided to stop my grieving, think about his love, his great sense of humor, and to Celebrate His Life! So today, I want to share a memory of Dad and hope to bring you a smile and some comfort in knowing our Heavenly Father too.
Absolute Trust…
Alabama summer is hot, sticky and full of gnats swarming in big groups. Heaven help when you happen to encounter those swarms! Those gnats can almost drive you nuts! On this particular day, Daddy had decided to cut down a dead tree. I was a little girl playing nearby in the yard and unfortunately encountered an irritating gnat swarm with one gnat landing in my eye and taking up residence there. Daddy came to the rescue quickly. He pulled the ever present pencil out of his shirt pocket and told me to be absolutely still and let him get the gnat out of my eye with the pencil lead end. I was terrified, in pain and struggling not to cry but, I obeyed because I didn’t want him to “poke my eye out” as we say here in Alabama. I won’t go into details because my Mother and Sister may read this and get sick (I’m a nurse and can handle gory details but I don’t want to make them sick). Anyway, Daddy successfully extracted that gnat and life moved on.
I know what some of you are thinking … “Lord have mercy! You can’t get away with that these days!” But here’s the thing…. Many years later, I got to thinking about how much I trusted my Daddy in spite of the fear of injury or punishment for not standing still and behaving!
Then the thought occurred to me that this particular incident laid a foundation for obeying and trusting my Heavenly Father absolutely, regardless of injury and/or punishment. In my life, all I need to do is just trust and obey my Heavenly Father. Just like the old hymn says, “Trust and Obey, for there’s no other way, to be happy in Jesus, just to trust and obey.”
This past summer my sister asked me about having the health issues and disabilities that now make me so dependent on others and especially keep me home and somewhat isolated. My answer… Knowing that The Lord is always with me and I am never alone comforts me and allows me to face life with a positive attitude. It’s the Absolute Trust in my Heavenly Father that He may need to use the figurative lead end of the pencil to remove the gnat but I will stand still. Yes, I will “Trust and Obey.
Just sharing all of this today makes me smile. It comforts my heart to know that Daddy is in Heaven. Mama is still here. I am blessed beyond measure with wonderful family and friends. Daddy and Mama laid a foundation of trust in them and the Lord in many ways,… even a pencil lead 🙂. I am very thankful. God is so good!
Dear friends, I hope you know our Lord and trust Him completely with your life.
God bless you all!
Kim 💕
Hope and a Dash of Humor 