WHY HAVE WE BEEN SO BLESSED?

I HAVE JUST COME IN FROM A BASEBALL GAME THAT WE DROVE ABOUT 50 MILES TO WATCH. HAD TO GO THOUGH, IT WAS FOR JAYBIRD, AND THE WHOLE AVAILABLE FAMILY WAS THERE. I SAT THERE WATCHING JAYBIRD PLAY AND THOUGHT ABOUT WHEN MY LITTLE ONES PLAYED SPORTS. BECKY IS THE ONE WHO LOVED SOFTBALL, AND SHE WAS REALLY GOOD- THE BOYS LOVED FOOTBALL, BASKETBALL AND FISHING, AND BOBBIE JO PLAYED BASKETBALL. I AM TRYING TO REMEMBER WHAT SISSY LIKED TO PLAY, BUT TO TELL YOU THE TRUTH, SHE IS A PERFORMER AND DID HER BEST IN THE DANCE TEAM IN HIGH SCHOOL. TONIGHT, AS USUAL, PAPA OPENED HIS WALLET FOR MANY TRIPS TO THE SNACK BAR. THERE WAS A TIME WHEN WE WOULD HAVE HAD TO REALLY THINK ABOUT THE COST OF SNACK BAR TREATS, AND CAREFULLY MEASURE OUT THE CHANGE FOR EACH CHILD. IT IS NOT THAT WAY NOW, AND I EVEN HAVE TO REMIND PAPA THAT HIS POCKETS ARE NOT BOTTOMLESS! HE JUST GRINS AND TELLS ME THAT IT WILL BE ONLY A SHORT TIME UNTIL THE GRANDCHILDREN ARE GROWN, AND THEN WE CAN THINK ABOUT NOT GOING TO THE SNACK BAR. (ALTHOUGH BY THEN, WE WILL BE WATCHING THE GAMES OF OUR GREAT-GRANDCHILDREN, AND STILL GOING TO THE SNACK BAR!)

WHY HAVE WE BEEN SO BLESSED?

WHEN OUR CHILDREN WERE LITTLE, WE HAD TO WATCH EVERY PENNY. NOW, WE GO OUT TO EAT WAY TOO OFTEN, BUT BACK THEN, GOING OUT WAS INDEED A TREAT. I REMEMBER A CHICKEN RESTAURANT THAT WE LOVED, AND WENT TO ON OCCASION. THE MANAGER'S NAME WAS ANNIE, AND SHE LOVED OUR FAMILY. IT NEVER FAILED THAT AFTER WE GOT HOME WITH OUR ORDER, SHE HAD SNEAKED IN SOME EXTRA PIECES OF CHICKEN FOR NO COST. ONCE, I ASKED HER WHY, AND SHE SAID THAT GOOD CHILDREN LIKE OURS DESERVED TO EAT CHICKEN WITHOUT WORRYING WHETHER OR NOT THERE WOULD BE ENOUGH FOR EVERYONE. I HAVE NOT FORGOTTEN THAT. ON PAYDAY, DAD WOULD GO TO OUR FAVORITE PIZZA PLACE AT THE MALL AND GET A PIZZA FOR THE FAMILY. THIS WAS AND IS THE BEST PIZZA I HAVE EVER HAD, AND ONCE IN A WHILE, WE TAKE THE TRIP BACK JUST TO GET A BITE AGAIN. NOW, THE OWNER OF THIS PIZZA PLACE HAD KIDS ABOUT THE SAME AGE AS OURS. HE KNEW THAT DAD COULD ONLY COME IN TWICE A MONTH ON PAYDAY- AND LOOKED FORWARD TO TALKING TO DAD WHEN HE CAME IN. THEY TALKED ABOUT ALL KINDS OF THINGS, AND HAD A GOOD FRIENDSHIP. HE ALWAYS GAVE US MORE PIZZA THAN WE HAD PAID FOR, A LARGE PIE FOR A MEDIUM PRICE, OR, A CUSTOMER ORDERED ONE AND DIDN'T PICK IT UP-WOULD DAD LIKE IT FOR THE KIDS? THE YEARS WENT BY, BUT THEY STILL REMEMBER US, AND GIVE US THE "ROYAL" TREATMENT WHEN WE GO. BUT THAT IS NOT WHY WE GO, IT IS BECAUSE OF THE MEMORIES FORGED OVER THE YEARS. THEIR KIDS ARE GROWN NOW, BUT THEY WORK THERE INSTEAD OF THEIR PARENTS, AND THEY TELL US OF HOW THEIR PARENTS WERE SO IMPRESSED WITH OUR CHILDREN. EVEN THOUGH WE STRUGGLED FINANCIALLY, THERE WERE TIMES WHEN I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE WHAT WE HAD. WHEN I GREW A GARDEN, I SHARED THE PRODUCE, AND SEEMED TO ALWAYS HAVE MORE THAN I NEEDED. I SHARED THE EGGS FROM THE CHICKENS, AND WHEN WE BUTCHERED THE PIGS, THE HISPANIC FAMILIES IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD OFFERED TO HELP IF WE WOULD GIVE THEM THE "LEFTOVERS". LEFTOVERS WERE THE HEAD, INSIDES, FEET AND SKIN. I WAS GLAD TO NOT HAVE TO DISPOSE OF THEM, AND GLADLY GAVE THEM AWAY. ON HALLOWEEN, WE ALWAYS HAD EXTRA CANDY TO GIVE OUT. WE STRUGGLED, TRUE, BUT WE WERE SO MUCH BETTER OFF THAN THE HISPANIC FAMILIES THAT LIVED IN THE TRAILER PARK AT THE END OF THE STREET. THEY TRULY HAD VERY LITTLE, AND THEY THOUGHT WE WERE THE "RICH PEOPLE" ON THE STREET. IF ONLY THEY KNEW. I HAVE TO ADMIT, THAT AS MARTIN AND I HAVE MATURED, WE HAVE PROSPERED. I SAY THIS WITH HUMILITY AND THANKS, ESPECIALLY SINCE I KNOW HOW FRAGILE THE GOOD TIMES CAN BE. I NEVER TAKE THINGS LIKE THIS FOR GRANTED ANYMORE. I REMEMBER CUTTING A WHOLE CHICKEN INTO 4 MEALS-AND GRATEFUL TO BE ABLE TO DO SO. TODAY, I BUY FROZEN CHICKEN BREASTS LIKE EVERYONE ELSE-BUT I DON'T FORGET JUST HOW FAR A CHICKEN CAN GO IF IT HAS TO. I HOPE THAT EVERYONE CAN REALIZE HOW MANY BLESSINGS THEY HAVE. I HOPE THAT THE AFFLUENCE AND PROSPERITY THAT MOST PEOPLE I KNOW ARE SOMETHING THAT THESE FRIENDS AND FAMILY ARE GRATEFUL FOR. I DON'T EVER WANT TO GO BACK TO THE DAYS WHEN I CULLED THROUGH BOXES OF PRODUCE TO FINE THE "GOOD STUFF" TO TAKE HOME TO MY FAMILY TO SAVE SOME CHANGE, BUT IF I EVER HAVE TO, I WILL BE GRATEFULL THEN AS WELL. I BARELY REMEMBER GOING TO THE DAY-OLD BREAD STORE TO GET BARGAIN CUPCAKES AND OTHER GOODIES, BUT I DO REMEMBER THE JOY IN FINDING A BARGAIN AND THE MULTITUDE OF YUMMIES THAT I WAS ABLE TO PROVIDE. THESE DAYS, I HAVE TO TELL MYSELF NO, THAT I DON'T NEED TO FILL THE HOUSE WITH GOODIES, (FOR ALL THE GOOD IT DOES, AFTER ALL, I STILL HAVE LITTLE TUMMIES TO FILL) AND OF COURSE, I GIVE IN TO THE "HAPPY NANA" PART OF ME THAT REALIZES THAT IF HEAVENLY FATHER HAS GIVEN ME A WAY TO SHARE, THEN SHARE I WILL. AFTER ALL, WHEN I HAVE LEFT THIS WORLD, I WANT TO BE REMEMBERED AS THE NANA THAT HAD GOODIES IN HER PURSE FOR ANYONE WHO NEEDED ONE. (AND WE ALL NEED ONE!) I GUESS WHAT I AM TRYING TO SAY, IS THAT SINCE I HAVE BEEN SO EXPONENTIALLY BLESSED IN MY LIFETIME, I SHOULD FIND JOY IN SHARING THOSE BLESSINGS. I REALLY DO, AND PRAY EACH DAY FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO FIND SOMEONE TO PASS FATHER'S BLESSINGS ALONG TO. I KNOW I CANNOT SAVE THE WORLD, BUT I CAN MAKE A VERY SMALL PART OF IT BETTER FOR A FEW. AND, ISN'T THAT WHERE TRUE JOY LIES? YOU CAN'T PUT A PRICE ON THAT! TILL TOMORROW, LOVE, NANASEE