Sweet Sounds From Heaven

She was awaken with the sounds of wailing. Everyone was bawling their eyes out. Oh my! She thought, what in the world could be so bad to make everyone hurt so deeply? She sat up and rubbed her sleepy eyes, and asked, “what’s wrong, why is everyone crying?” “Your mother died last night,” they said. This 8 year old didn’t know much, but she knew what death was, she’d seen the graveyard up on the hill . Still gawking in disbelief, she said, “That’s impossible, she is supposed to come home from the hospital today, daddy said so.”   “I know honey, they consoled, something must have gone horribly wrong.”

Everyone who knew her, loved her. She had an incredible ability to make everyone feel comfortable immediately. Once “hellos” were exchanged, no more a stranger. People connected with mama (Mary Jean); they felt like she was a life long friend. They could confide in her and trust her with their deepest thoughts, an attribute not many can lay claim to. The most irksome thing about mama, is that she thought she was invincible. That is a serious short sight, as she was always taking care of everyone in need. Everyone, except herself. She would have been 26 had she lived until April, but she died in February at the unthinkable age of 25. Everyone was stunned but me, and I was numb.

Have you ever noticed that sometimes, things happen and we just act like ho-hum. Well, not really ho-hum, but no one would ever in a million years know that we were totally broken inside. Seems as if I went through life that way, until God cornered me in 1978. God had revealed Himself to me as the Wonderful Lover of my soul. I had been listening to tapes on forgiveness all day. Finished with the last tape, and God said, “now let’s practice what we have learned. Think of anyone who has hurt you and we are going to forgive them.” Didn’t take long to collect some names. I was ready. God said, “you need to add your mother.” “My mother?, I said, she’s been dead since 1953.” God said, “yes, and you’ve been angry about it ever since.” I was shocked!, but I knew God had struck a main cord in my life.

As an act of my will, I forgave from my heart several people, including my mother, who died so young, and abandoned me. I had no clue of the baggage I had been needlessly carrying around. Once forgiveness was vocally expressed, it was like I had a shower on the inside. Sometimes, things happen that we have absolutely no control over. It’s not our fault. We had nothing to do with it, but it attaches it’s hurtful self to us like a leach, sucking the very life out of us. Unfair? Yes! But, without a doubt, we have the privilege to Forgive and Let God Heal us. He knows exactly how to recompense us for life’s wrongs.

The famous “Lord’s Prayer” in Matthew 6:12 summarizes forgiveness: forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors. Verse 15, however, is paramount: But, if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. Harboring Unforgiveness is like drinking poison and hoping the other person dies. Forgiveness does more for the forgiver than the forgiven, especially if we’re angry at God or someone departed. Like a rainbow that shows itself after a serious rain, God is Faithful! Forgiveness is the Pot O’ Gold at the end of that rainbow.

Grandpa Hensley was a good looking fellow. He was more than just good looking, he was just plain good. He sure was good to me. As a child he bought me shoes just about every six to eight weeks. He had to, wore ‘em smack out. It was nothing unusual for him to taxi everyone in the community anywhere. Lots of people did not drive, so that station wagon got a real good work out. Taking folks to the doctor, to town to buy groceries; really just about anywhere they needed, or sometimes just wanted to go, he got his hat and keys. He was more than just appreciated, he exhibited Jesus to everyone. One of the most selfless people I have ever met.

Once when living with grandpa and grandma, we decided to take a trip to W. Virginia. He was ready in a flash. Took me and grandma a little longer. Grandpa was walking around in the living room with his hat on and cigarette in hand, just grinning, patiently waiting.

Suddenly Margaret, from across the road, appeared on our door step peeping through the glass storm door. She was swaying back and forth in her four year old style and proudly announced,  “My daddy goin’ to buy me a pretty little red gress.” Grandpa picked up that phrase and continued walking around, grinning, holding that cigarette, proudly proclaiming, “my daddy goin’ to buy me a pretty little red gress.” He was so funny. Such a stand up comedian. He said the same thing every time, however, just placing emphasis on one word or the other added so much imagination. Maybe it was the way he talked with his cigarette hand. Nevertheless, grandpa was in his very element. We were off to a good start. Margaret had no idea how much she added to our already adventurous day.

In that station wagon, winding our way through the mountain roads toward W. Virginia, singing seemed a natural thing for me to do. Grandma joined in with harmony. Suddenly grandpa also joined in with a wonderful addition of harmony. I knew grandma could sing, but never had heard grandpa sing. What a pleasant surprise! We sang old hymns in three part harmony all the way to W. Virginia. What a treat. Singing and Swinging in that ol’ station wagon. Who knew we could have so much fun. We even swapped parts. We all just blended in regardless of who started off. What a grand treasure, and it was all my pleasure.

Fresh out of high school and back in Whitetop. Really thankful to be through with school. Out of the blue they offered to send her to college. The thought disgusted her, however the value of education was huge, so off we go to higher learning. She hated it. She wanted to be home with grandma and grandpa. Later in life, the higher education afforded her promotions, just was not appreciated at the time. Once when home from college, she over heard grandpa say to grandma, “college has really taught Sandra a lot. How to smoke cigarettes and dance dirty.” You know, he was right. Her Spirit sunk because they were paying lots of money for her betterment and she was no better. Somehow overhearing that comment and sensing their concern helped her snap out of it, buckle down and concentrate on the goal, graduation.

Finally finished and on the job hunt. Seems now she’s over educated. Go Figure! Thank God for high school training in banking; she landed a job at the Financial Institution. Through the bank secretary, she landed a place to live, with dinner privileges daily. Seems like favor is following her around. Working at the bank was easy, but truly just a job.

Living at Miss Mary’s was more than an adventure. Miss Mary was 88, nearly deaf, a wonderful cook, sharp as a tack, always formal and wonderful at conversation. She planned a full course evening meal daily for her new boarder, Miss Ruth, the bank secretary, Cookie, her daughter, and herself. She served everything with elegance. Conversation was rich. We enjoyed each others company. All this for $1.65 a day. One dollar for the furnished room, and bath, $0.65 for the evening meal. The conversation and laughter were free. No helping with the dishes was allowed. She considered it a privilege to serve. What an honor to know her even for a short period of time in my young life.

Just settling in good over the summer and looking forward to hanging out with her new found friends a long time, we were awaken with really bad news. Willis came to tell her that Grandpa Hensley had died over night. That’s impossible, she’s thinking. She just saw him late yesterday. She remembered specifically, grandpa coming down the hallway towards her with his wallet open and taking out his last ten dollar bill. He handed it to her. She looked confused. She was now working and had money of her own. He insisted that she take it. Grandpa recently had a hemorrhoids’ operation, and was losing more blood than anyone knew, which resulted in a heart attack. It’s at times like that when our blood seems to run hot and cold at the same time. The shock of it all, hits us directly in the heart. It’s not that she didn’t know what she had until he was gone, she realized fully what a treasure he was. It was just much too soon to be without him in her life.

Life has a way of making us well rounded whether we want to be or not. Like round smooth stones that the water courses of life flow over, as it cuts it’s own way through our lives. Leaving in it’s wake, ripples of memories, no one can take away. It was hard and even confusing to lose grandpa so soon. But, one thing was learned well from this wonderful selfless man. He did everything he did as unto the Lord. Matthew 5:16 summarizes his life as was seen by all. “Let Your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.”

Did this man leave a lasting impression on his first grandchild? When she surrendered wholly to God in 1978, immediately she started having supernatural dreams. She heard a knock at the door and arose to answer. When she opened the door, there he stood, Good Looking as ever with his cowboy neck tie, his grey felt hat, grinning from ear to ear. She awoke. Grandpa went to Heaven in 1965. He just wanted to show up and let her know that he knew she was new. Dad gum, if she ain’t still his favorite. She has to be. Did he make a lasting impression on her? I’d say that’s an unequivocal YES!

The young couple lived in Atlanta and rubbed shoulders with the very rich. Met them at Georgia Tech where the Mr. graduated college. Sometimes, this country bumpkin really wondered about these wealthy people. Some of the things they could deduce baffled her mind. Oh well, not her job to figure it out.

One thing was for sure, they were rich with generational money. We just enjoyed the fellowship with the four adult children. Admittedly, it was impressive to see how the truly wealthy lived. A bird’s eye view from the surface, nothing could break that they could not fix. Something outstanding in her mind, is the year one of the adult kids got a stop watch for Christmas. A stop watch…. O.K.?!?

We were at their home horsing around in the formal living room when someone came up with an idea to play with the stop watch. We, included two Georgia Tech students, a Yale student, a Harvard student and can’t remember where the daughter was attending school, but somewhere impressive, you can be sure of that.

We glanced at the adjacent wide foyer and winding marble staircase and decided it would be fun to see who could run up the stairs into the bedroom, into the adjacent bathroom, flush the toilet, run back down stairs, jump over the marble foyer and land in the living room the quickest. O.K., the game was on. No one broke anything; impressive as the jump over the foyer was at least 8 feet wide. If we could master the leap from the 2^nd or 3^rd step, we often landed on cushy carpet instead of unforgiving marble. We enjoyed playing that game as much as anything we had ever done together, including attending football games. The game was appropriately named “Flush the Toilet.” Move over Monopoly. Truly out of the box thinkers are together again.

Heard it said, “if you have all the money in the world and don’t have your health, you’re a poor person.” What about that Peace money can’t buy, not to mention Love and Acceptance. Recently one of the brothers and close friend died in his late 50’s with complications from diabetes. I’m confident that people with big bucks and poor health would swap it out. All of the out of the box thinking in the world won’t take the place of good old common sense, waiting on God and doing things HIS way.

Money is simply a tool, a very good tool, but just a tool. 3^rd John 2 says it this way: Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in EVERY way and that your body may keep well, even as I know your soul keeps well and prospers. Father, help us to remember the 8^th chapter of Deuteronomy. That it is YOU who brought us out of bondage, gave us water out of a rock, and that it is YOU who gives us the power to get wealth. If money is not used for it’s intended purpose, when it’s all said and done, we might as well flush it down the toilet.

She was expecting the air condition maintenance man early in the day. She had finished her prayer time, her breakfast and coffee. It was almost time, so she retrieved her under garment from the bedroom and placed it on the arm of the couch. She would simply sit in her prayer chair and continue praying where she could see plainly out the window when the maintenance man arrived. This girl don’t like to waste her time.

She had not been in the prayer chair more than 5 minutes when she saw a white van passing by slowly with the words Air Conditioning on the side. Here they are, she thought. She arose from her chair, retrieved her under garment and put it on.

Out the door, jogging across the yard to help the new maintenance man enter, she noticed that something was just not right. My goodness! I know I put my bra on. Somehow, things didn’t compute. She was self conscious, so she kept her arms down and close to her side. She opened the gate and pointed to the back of the house where the air conditioner was, only moving her arms from the elbows. This tall, good looking gentleman struck out for the back of the house. She struck out for the inside of the house.

Once inside, she discovered her mind was still intact, however her bra was still around her waist. Oh my goodness! She got so tickled, she could hardly stop laughing. She’s wondering if God is laughing too. Of course He is. She could only hope the good looker was not aware of her dilemma, and was having himself a good laugh. She’ll never know will she.

We were traveling to California in a camero with no air conditioning. We three cousins and grandma. We were, for the most part enjoying our trip and making good time. I’m driving, grandma is side saddle with Barbara and Teresa bringing up the rear. We were in the desert and had been driving for miles. There was nothing in sight but straight roads with desert and sagebrush on either side. No houses, businesses, people, cars, nothing.

I sure did need to find a bathroom. Finally, grandma said, “Sandra, why don’t you just pull over, no one will ever see you out here.” Sounded good to me and my bladder was rejoicing at the thought. I pulled the car over to the side of the road and went around to grandma’s side and opened her door to kind of shield me from the front. Breathing a sigh of relief, I took my liberty.

I don’t know where that car came from. Hadn’t seen one for hours. Grandma could not stop laughing and I couldn’t stop either. Barbara and Teresa just hoping the tales weren’t true about rattlesnakes lurking along the side of the road in the bushes. Grandma slapped her leg and laughed and laughed. She tried to console me with, no one will ever see you again. I’m thinking and if they do, hopefully, they won’t recognize me in that position, unless of course, they remember the whites of my eyes.