“Just as the Father
has loved Me, I have also loved you; abide in My love. If you keep my command-ments, you will abide
in My love; just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His
love. These things I have spoken to you
so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full” (John
15:9-11).
Hey Gang: Valentines
have always been kind of like a mental block for me. In my very early school years we moved from
the mountains where my daddy was a cool miner to ALtoona. Having never been around kids of my age, the
move was very tough for me. Add to that
that I was very skinny, had buck teeth and my name was Kermit, and you get the
picture; I was a good candidate for the ‘weirdo of the year club.’
I am sure all of you know that famous saying, “Sticks and
stones will break my bones but names will never harm me”. I want you to know: if you believe that
saying to be fact, it is a bunch of baloney and has done irreversible damage to
many children.
Interlude: The other day I was walking through a super
market and passed the card area where a mom and little tyke were picking out
cards for every kid in his class. I
should say, mom was picking out the cards.
The tyke did not seem to have much interest in the project.
We moved to Altoona because we were recovering from my dad’s
accident in the coal mines, We did not have money for me to buy valentines for
all the kids. So when you put together
lack of funds to buy cards for all, and my being considered the weirdo of the
class, my crop of cards was very sparse, usually one or two from others who
were in the same boat as I.
As you might guess that led to the development of “I don’t
want your lousy cards anyway, I would just have to open them and I have better
things to do with my time”. And how does
one compensate for those kind of experiences? Even many that were not
restricted to valentines but became my ever- present shadow in my elementary
school years?
Now, does that sound like a pity-party? After rereading what I have written thus far,
it certainly does. I mean I am 83 years
old and valentines still bring out bad feelings in my inners! Holy cow, grow up and get over it,
right? I love Paul’s words in Romans
where he wrote, “We know that God causes
all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are
called according to His purpose” (Rom. 8:28).
Would you like to guess how many young folks who are hurting
deep in their inners because they, too, were designated as the weirdo’s in
their young lives? More than I can count have passed through my life as a counselor
in a detention home and more than 27 years at the Village?
I am blessed to have
a college degree and even an Honorary Doctor’s Degree, but my education in
providing a shirt tail to hang on for hurting kids began back there when I got only
one valentine. I wonder how many times I have sat on the edge of a bed with a
sobbing youngster who was hurt by one of those ‘sticks and stones’ that never
hurt anyone and said, “been there”.
Friends, do me a favor, reread this epistle and take a few minutes
to think of a few people that are hurting deep inside because they were the
recipients of the ‘sticks and stones’ during their growing up years or later.
They may be six, sixteen, sixty and even 83.
Jesus said “This is
my commandment, that you love one another Just as I loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that one
lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:12-13). Valentines come in many forms, a simple hi,
have a great day to a clerk at Walmart might be the bright spot of her day.
NOTE: Bonus post tomorrow Feb 14.
Blessings,
Gramps
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