Reflections From a Country Girl

No one knew the real truth but her.

She could hardly believe it herself. After all, one day she was a carefree young lady working in a school teaching young children and the next day she had a heavy burden and responsibility placed on her that even she could not fathom.

If she hadn’t experienced it with her own two eyes and ears even she would not have believed it.

She tried convincing everyone, but no one would listen to her. They mocked her. It was though she was all alone…even with the friends and family she loved surrounding her. She could hardly believe what she was seeing from those people; much less what she was feeling herself about the situation.

She had a good reason for being in the position she was in. It was an incredibly important responsibility and one she might have to bear alone if her fiancé continued not believing her. She had to be ready to deal with this all by herself.

Her faith was going to be tested and she knew it. And yet, she realized deep in her heart that she would be fine and that the spiritual beliefs she taught the children would get her through the critical times. She told herself she was ready for this…even if she had to do it alone. After all, wasn’t that what faith was all about?

Her parents were mortified, angry and concerned all at the same time. Their concern for her safety was overshadowed by the embarrassment they were feeling inside. After all, they were respected citizens in their community.

This would change things for all of them.

At least they thought so.

Her fiancé asked to speak to her. Little did she know that he also had a remarkably unbelievable experience and he was now convinced that they should be married. They had to do it quickly, though, as they must take a long journey away from their family and friends to be responsible to their government.

She was relieved. Finally, someone believed her. She was so glad they were to marry. Not wanting to do this alone, she was able to count on him for the support she needed.

Yes, they had each other and that was going to get them though this. They felt blessed to be in the situation and were resolute to tackle it together.

My wish for you today is that you realize that life is going to present you with many surprises. Strive to deal with them as challenges and opportunities in as positive a way as possible – just like this family did – and you will find many blessings in them.

~Joellen

Brooks and Dunn sum it up about how men today work in their song – Hard Workin’ Man. While the man they describe wears a hard hat and is proficient at many labor intense tasks, he’s also use to just getting by financially…in fact, he’s pretty good at it. I guess you could call him a resourceful kind of guy.

Many men work diligently and faithfully day in and day out to make a living for themselves and others. You know how valuable someone is who lives and works that way. It’s what makes up the core of our workforce today.

It is the same case with a number of men who are out in the wilderness minding various herds such as cattle or sheep. While there are fewer of them today than there have been in the past, they still handle an important part of the food base for many of us.

Consider that man who works diligently to manage those animals.

I would suspect that to be a lonely kind of job…dealing with animals all day that are likely soon to be on someone’s dinner table. Not much you can say about that, now is there?

While most of them don’t work completely alone, they don’t have much time for talking on the job…that is unless they talk to the animals.

I suspect that most days are uneventful…just doing the same thing day in and day out. For some that is a satisfying task and they take great pride in that work. I, for one, am sure appreciative they are accustomed to that and can do it on a daily basis.

There were some – we will call them shepherds here – that had a pretty amazing story about one of the nights they were working. There seemed to be more night time activity than usual…even people coming through their territory well after dark. That was definitely something they were not use to and it made them a bit uncomfortable.

These folks were curious about what was going on and some of them even decided to follow the other travelers a short distance when they saw a light in the sky that actually seemed to welcome them there. They were not usually welcomed many places due to their position in life.

This was different for some reason and they were drawn to it.

When they got to the spot they were in awe at what they saw. They sat quietly and took in the scene. The light from the sky, much brighter now, lit the space in a remarkable way. There were other visitors there and they were mindful to be respectful and quiet. Little was said…but much was learned by observing the scene.

Yes, even a hard working, hard living man can have a soft spot in his heart when he sees something like this.

The word spread fast among their coworkers and before they knew it, they were making a positive impact on many others because they ventured out that night to participate in something a little different.

My wish for you today is that you spend your time working hard and spreading good wherever you can. It’s the hard working and simple living people in this world who often can make a difference in our lives if we stop to take the time to watch and listen.

~ Joellen

You’ve probably heard the hotel/inn commercial saying “We’ll leave the lights on for you.” It’s a cute little saying that has stuck with many of us these past few years.

There’s a story about an innkeeper and his wife who ran a Mom and Pop business. It was full the night a desperate couple came in who were exhaused and looking for a place to stay. The Innkeeper could tell there was a real need and felt very bad for the couple because he had absolutely no more space left.

He also knew there were no other places open that time of night and told them the best he could do was to offer a small, dry space.

The couple was more than thankful for the location and settled there comfortably to make the best of the situation. They had learned they must be positive and make the best of their circumstances even though there were many hardships to overcome during the early part of their marriage.

As they settled in for the night they knew they wouldn’t get much sleep. She was expecting and there were no doctors or hospitals nearby like we’ve come to expect today. They were likely going to have to deliver the baby themselves. One would suspect that, since neither was seasoned at child birthing, it was going to be an interesting night. At least it was a clear and reasonably comfortable – weather wise. There was no heating or air conditioning in their little spot…and, as they found, no light either. That is, except some natural light from the clear skies with stars shining brightly.

When morning came, the baby boy had been born. Others heard of the birth and they had not waited until daylight to see the baby. They came immediately and sat with the couple till morning to celebrated with the young family. Some even brought gifts to share in the celebration.

Both mother and baby were fine.

Sometimes, the kindness and support of strangers is a miracle in itself. Thank goodness for innkeepers and strangers who help out. In this case, the innkeeper didn’t leave a light on, but he did share the kindness and compassion he had in his heart for this family. In some ways, that’s even better.

My wish for you today is that you seek out opportunities to serve others and share hope and encouragement with them whenever you can. You may find that you’ll be blessed even more than they will.

~ Joellen

Amy Grant sang a song some time ago entitled “My Father’s Eyes.”

She says she may “not be every mother’s dream of her little girl” and that her “face may not grace the mind of everyone in the world.” She continues by saying that she hopes, when people look inside her life, she hears them say that she has “her father’s eyes…..eyes that find the good in things when good in not around…eyes that find the source of help when help just can’t be found…eyes full of compassion, seein’ every pain”…eyes that know what someone is “going through and feelin’ it the same”…just like her father’s eyes.

Amy is talking about her heavenly father, but the lyrics so remind me of the family I talked about yesterday.

It’s worth thinking a few minutes today about that family again.

Early in his life, the young man found himself very attracted to a certain girl in his community. He liked her stamina, her determination to do a good job at whatever she did and her ease of working with children.

As he got older, he knew he needed to ask her father for her hand in marriage and was working up the courage to do so. Finally, he did ask and the father wholeheartedly agreed. It was their custom to ask the father without little thought of the daughter’s desires. The father and his wife knew it was the right thing to do.

The parents brought the man and his “fiancé” together to tell them both the news. She had no idea – but she would abide by her parents wishes. Their custom was to wait one year until they could be officially wed with the understanding there would be no intimate contact between the two of them during that time.

Sometime between this conversation and the marriage date, she left for awhile to visit relatives. When she returned, it was obvious she was pregnant.

Here parents were furious, and also were very concerned about her future. They had seen many young women put to death for this kind of behavior. The young man was heartbroken as he knew the baby was not his. During her absence the love he had for her grew and he was so glad to see her. The last thing he expected was this.

The young people talked together about what their future could be like. She told him stories about the pregnancy that filled him with more questions than answers. He just knew he wanted to be with her as her husband so badly that he was going to marry her anyway.

In his eyes, he found the good in the situation. He had a sense of compassion and saw the pain and anguish the family was going through. He was going to make the best of the circumstances as his love for her had grown stronger.

This young man could have disowned his fiancé. He could have left the family. He could have taken the easy way out…but he didn’t. He had a deep love for her. He wanted to be part of the solution because, through his eyes, he thought it was the right thing to do.

Turns out that he was a great father and that he and his wife raised a fine son who made a remarkable difference in the world. He wasn’t a perfect father, mind you, just a loving and compassionate one.

What would you do in this circumstance? Though the cultures may be a bit different where you are concerned, decisions would still have to be made. How would you handle it?

Would you see it through similar eyes of this man?

I am amazed on a daily basis to hear and see of those who take tough situations and handle them with dignity. We have little idea that there are so many of us out here who have weathered tough decisions with compassion, understanding and love. Each of us who is able to manage things with dignity sets an example for the others of us who will be making hard choices as time goes on.

I don’t know about you, but I find great comfort and hope in the story of this man and his wife.

My wish for you today is that you have the strength and determination to handle life’s challenges with the depth and understanding it takes to make wise decisions….just like this young man did. You just never know who may be watching.

~Joellen

Many grandparents have heard with excitement the words “We’re going to have a baby.”

It’s a time of anticipation and joy for most. As a parent ourselves, it is often associated with our newlywed child and spouse and the two love birds having decided to start a family of their own.

The delight of sharing the news with family and friends is part of the anticipation. Since there are most often nine months to prepare, there are showers, room preparation, and plans for how the grandparents will be involved in the first few days of the birth.

Yes, having a grandchild is a delight – I hear.

In this case, things were a little different.

What was to be anticipated as a joyous occasion turned out an embarrassment and disgrace.

Some months earlier there had been a promise of a marriage between the parents and their future son in law. The daughter barely knew him, but she was bound to remain pure for one year before the vows took place.

She got pregnant before the marriage occurred. Not only was she a disgrace to her family but people were talking about here throughout the village. They all thought the baby was the son of the young man who was to marry her.

She and her fiancé knew that was not the case.

The parents were mortified. They were shunned by many of their friends. How embarrassed they were.

After many long discussions, and because he was certain he wanted to marry her anyway, they were married.

So what if you found yourself in this situation today? How would you handle it?

I hear these grandparents eventually accepted the baby – even though they did not attend the birth because their daughter and her new husband were far away from home when the baby was born.

I also heard they were good and loving grandparents to the little boy as he grew up quickly.

Through their eyes, he was still their grandson and they were proud of him.

Many in the community eventually accepted him.

Others never did.

My wish for you today is that – if and when you become grandparents – you will celebrate that event with love and kindness – regardless of the circumstances. I’ve seen many families who embrace situations they had little control over and surround their grandchildren with the love and care a young child deserves. My wish for you today is – if you know of a young lady when finds herself pregnant and out of wedlock – that you support and encourage her as she prepares to become a mother. With that kind of love and support form parents and friends, just think what a newborn child can become.

~ Joellen