| FAYE'S SONG...page 1 This one came about when a dear friend of mine emailed asking for "something" about her mother, who'd recently passed away after struggling with Alzheimer's. I never had the privilege of meeting Faye, but after reading my friend's email I will always wish I had! A neighbor asked how on earth do you write about a woman you never knew? The only answer I've got to that one is by the grace of God! My friend Julie loved this piece, saying it perfectly 'captured' her mom and has graciously allowed me to add it to the stories here on The Porch, because, as she pointed out, so many people are dealing with this issue and we all either need to know and / or be reminded that indeed....we are NEVER alone! |
STOP AND LET A SIMPLE RHYME TEACH A LESSON THAT I LEARNED HOW GODS GRACE IS AN AMAZING GIFT NOT A REWARD THAT CAN BE EARNED! THE TALE I'M ABOUT TO TELL IS OF A WELL-LIVED LIFE THAT ENDED MUCH TOO SOON, SOME SAID, FOR ONE, WHO ON THE LORD DEPENDED WHEN FAYE WAS STILL A TINY GIRL HER FAMILY LIFE WAS TOUGH TIMES WERE HARD AND MONEY SCARCE THERE NEVER SEEMED TO BE ENOUGH FAYE’S MAMA WAS A QUIET SOUL WHO GAVE THEM ALL HER BEST EVEN WHEN HER HUSBAND’S DRINKING MADE HER CRY AND PUT HER PATIENCE TO THE TEST FOR WHEN HE DRANK, IT WASN'T LONG BEFORE HE STARTED ACTING MEAN THE CHILDREN LEARNED TO DISAPPEAR WHEN LIQUOR CAUSED A SCENE ONE DAY SO THE STORY GOES THE KITCHEN SHELVES WERE BARE FAYE'S MAMA HAD TO FEED FIVE KIDS WITH JUST A SINGLE ONION THERE BUT SHE PUT ON A SMILE ON HER FACE AND SOME WATER ON THE STOVE THEN LAUGHING, TOLD THEM STORIES AS SHE CUT THE ONION AND ADDED CLOVES SOON, THE KITCHEN SMELLED OF SOUP FRESH AND PIPING HOT AS THEY FOCUSED ONLY ON WHAT THEY HAD INSTEAD OF WHAT THEY HAD NOT... THE NEXT DAY JUST AT SUPPERTIME CAME A KNOCK UPON THE DOOR IT WAS MEMBERS FROM A NEARBY CHURCH DELIVERING GROCERIES FROM THE STORE FAYE'S POOR MOTHER BEGAN TO WEEP AND AS SHE WALKED THEM BACK OUTSIDE SHE WIPED HER TEARS AND WHISPERED "I KNEW GOD WOULD PROVIDE!" FAYE REMEMBERED IT ALL SO CLEAR AND KNEW SHE'D NEVER BE THE SAME HER HEART HAD CHANGED WHEN THEY'D RECEIVED THAT FOOD IN JESUS' NAME SHE HERSELF BECAME A CHRISTIAN BECAUSE DEEP INSIDE SHE KNEW THAT WHAT THOSE PEOPLE DID FOR HER? SHE WANTED TO SOMEDAY DO TO SPREAD HIS MESSAGE AND HIS LOVE TO THOSE WHO WERE WITHOUT LOVE FOR GOD FILLED UP HER HEART WITH NO ROOM LEFT FOR FEAR OR DOUBT FAYE GREW UP AND NOTHING CHANGED GOD REMAINED FIRST IN HER LIFE SHE BELIEVED HE'D GUIDE HER FUTURE THAT SHE'D END UP A GOOD MAN'S WIFE |
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