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Keeper
I grew up in the late 50s/60s with practical
parents. A mother, God love her, who washed aluminum foil after she cooked
in it, then reused it. She was the original recycle queen, before they had a
name for it... A father who was happier getting old shoes fixed than buying
new ones.
Their marriage was good, their dreams focused. Their best friends lived
barely a wave away. I can see them now, Dad in trousers, tee shirt and a hat
and Mom in a house dress, lawn mower in one hand, and dish-towel in the
other. It was the time for fixing things. A curtain rod, the kitchen radio,
screen door, the oven door, the hem in a dress, things we keep. It was a way
of life, and sometimes it made me crazy. All that re-fixing, eating,
renewing, I wanted just once to be wasteful. Waste meant affluence. Throwing
things away meant you knew there'd always be more.
But then my mother died, and on that clear summer's night, in the warmth of
the hospital room, I was struck with the pain of learning that sometimes
there isn't any more. Sometimes, what we care about most gets all used up
and goes away...never to return. So... while we have it... it's best we love
it.... and care for it... and
fix it when it's broken...... and heal it when it's sick. This is true for
marriage..... and old cars.... and children with bad report cards..... and
dogs with bad hips.... and aging parents.... and grandparents. We keep them
because they are worth it, because we are worth it. Some things we keep.
Like a best friend that moved away or a classmate we grew up with. There are
just some things that make life important, like people we know who are
special..... and so, we keep them close! I received this from someone who
thinks I am a 'keeper', so I've sent it to the people I think of in the same
way.. Now it's your turn to send this to those people that are "keepers" in
your life. Good friends are like stars.... You don't always see them, but
you know they are always there. Keep them close!
TEN THINGS GOD WON'T ASK ON THAT DAY.
1... God won't ask what kind of car you drove. He'll ask how many people you
drove who didn't have transportation.
2... God won't ask the square footage of your house. He'll ask how many
people you welcomed into your home.
3... God won't ask about the clothes you had in your closet; he'll ask how
many you helped to clothe.
4... God won't ask what your highest salary was. He'll ask if you
compromised your character to obtain it.
5.... God won't ask what your job title was. He'll ask if you performed your
job to the best of your ability.
6... God won't ask how many friends you had. He'll ask how many people to
whom you were a friend.
7.... God won't ask in what neighborhood you lived. He'll ask how you
treated your neighbors.
8... God won't ask about the color of your skin. He'll ask about the content
of your character.
9... God won't ask why it took you so long to seek Salvation. He'll lovingly
take you to your mansion in heaven, and not to the gates of Hell.
10... God won't have to ask how many people you forwarded this to, He
already knows your decision |
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