COMPANY, HAM AND COOKIES

TODAY, WE RECEIVED A LOVELY HAM FROM THE HANKS FAMILY, ALONG WITH SOME HOMEMADE BREAD, COOKIES AND CARROTS. KIMMY BROUGHT SOME CHOCOLATE PIE, AND DAVID MADE SOME WONDERFUL SHRIMP AND A STEAK. NOW NORMALLY, THIS WOULD BE SOME REALLY GOOD EATS, BUT AT THIS TIME, THEY ARE SO SPECIAL BECAUSE THEY ARE SEND WITH LOVE AND CONCERN. WE ARE VERY GRATEFUL FOR ALL THE LOVE AND PRAYERS WE RECEIVE DAILY. THE HAM REMINDS ME OF A VERY FUNNY STORY THAT HAPPENED MANY YEARS AGO. OUR NEIGHBOR DOWN THE STREET, (WE CALLED HER GRAM) INVITED US TO HER CHURCH REUNION, ALONG WITH A PICNIC AFTER THE SERVICE. MARTIN MADE A WONDERFUL HAM, COMPLETE WITH CHERRIES, PINEAPPLE AND SLICED THE WHOLE THING. MARTHA STEWART WOULD HAVE BEEN SO PROUD OF HIM. WE TOOK THE HAM TO THE CHURCH, WENT INTO THE KITCEN, AND I NOTICED THAT THERE WAS NO OTHER FOOD THERE. I SUPPOSED OTHERS WOULD BRING SOME LATER. WE WENT INTO THE SERVICE, AND THE CONGREGATION WAS DANCING AND PRAISING GOD. NOW WE ARE NOT USED TO THIS KIND OF WORSHIP, BUT WE SAT POLITELY WATCHING THEM. AARON SAID, "MAMA, WHERE IS GRAM?" I LOOKED AND COULD NOT FIND HER- AND THEN I REALIZED TO MY HORROR THAT SHE HAD TOLD ME THAT SHE HAD JOINED ANOTHER CONGREGATION. JIMENY CRICKET, I WAS IN THE WRONG CHURCH! I STOOD UP AND TOLD AARON TO GO AND GET THE HAM. HE SAID, "I AINT GETTING THAT HAM!" I SAID, "GET THE HAM NOW! WE ARE LEAVING!" OF COURSE, BY NOW THE MUSIC HAD STOPPED AND THERE I WAS SCREAMING ABOUT A HAM AND I WAS LEAVING- SO I POLITELY SAID, "PLEASE EXCUSE US, WE ARE AT THE WRONG CHURCH, AND WE ARE GOING TO LEAVE". I WALKED TO THE KITCHEN, GRABBED THE HAM, AND WE DASHED OUT THE BACK DOOR. I ALMOST MADE IT TO THE CAR, THE KIDS WERE IN THE CAR, BUT I STILL HAD THE HAM. THIS WOMAN RAN OUT THE SIDE OF THE CHURCH YELLING, "SISTER, SISTER, PLEASE DON'T LEAVE! THIS IS NO MISTAKE, GOD WANTS YOU HERE!" I TOLD HER I HAD TO GO TO ANOTHER CHURCH, AND SHE GRABBED THE HAM PLATTER, SAYING, "NO, NO, YOU MUST NOT GO! GOD WANTS YOU HERE!" I SAID, "LOOK HONEY, GOD DON'T WANT ME HERE AS BAD AS GRAM WANTS THIS HAM DOWN THE STREET!" I SNATCHED THE PLATTER OUT OF HER HANDS, THREW THE HAM IN THE CAR, GUNNED THE CAR OUT OF THE PARKING LOT AND THE LAST THING I SAW, WAS HER POOR DISSAPOINTED FACE- (I AM NOT SURE IF IT WAS BECAUSE I HAD THE HAM OR BECAUSE I HAD ESCAPED HER NET!) WELL, WE MADE IT TO THE RIGHT CHURCH JUST IN TIME FOR THE PICNIC. IT'S FUNNY HOW MEMORIES ARE TRIGGERED- ANYWAY, MORE TOMORROW, LOVE, NANASEE