Читать книгу When God Calls, You Will Answer! - George A. Ross - Страница 11

There has always been a lot of conversation about when my mother contracted spinal meningitis when she was in the eighth grade. In those days, this illness was hard to cure but fortunately, my mother lived through it. I feel that if it was not for praying elders in my family she would have not lived. She had to learn everything over again, how to walk, how to use her hands, she even had to learn how to talk properly. She was just like a baby once again. But God was gracious to my mother; I have seen her beautiful writing because she wrote me letters when I was in Vietnam. And she is always reading books and magazines, especially her Bible.

My mother was faithful in her prayer. I can remember her sitting on the porch in the evening, in the cool under the shade trees, with my paternal grandparents and Mama Dear, my maternal grandmother whose name was Elnora Hall. Mrs. Shelley, from across the street, and about two or more other neighbors would join them to praise the Lord and sing songs. Then they would start their humming until it became a groan, loud enough to rock the gates of hell and open up the windows of heaven. They did this faithfully every evening, just before bedtime.

I was too young at that time to truly understand the value of prayer as the old patriarch that stood in the gap for their offspring. These are the things that build the home, family structure, faith and the power to succeed in life. We do not understand all of that until we grow up and witness life for ourselves; then it all comes together for us. The light comes on and we can finally see all of the things that our parents were trying to teach us when we were too hard-headed and ignorant to listen. As my grandmother and mother would always say, “Good sense comes from the school of hard knocks. You just have got to bump your head a little bit, and then it will knock some sense in there.” Well, I did not listen well enough and bumped my head a lot. Thank God for good parents that loved us and took the time to teach us about the facts of life.

My mother was the oldest of three girls. She and her little sisters, Amelia White and Lillie Bell Miller, were very close and shared much love between them. It was obvious when they got together and started talking about their childhood days how much love they had. They would reminisce about the lessons they were taught early in their lives that have influenced them into adulthood. I could see the circle unfolding in my own life as we learned how to communicate from them. They took their time to explain how they grew up so that we would also grow up to be productive individuals. I can hear my mother saying to me as she has so many times before, “George, always seek to do well in your life.” These words always come up when I need to make a decision.

I always tell my children and grandchildren the very same things. My mother and I became very close after the death of my father. I feel that we became best friends. I can remember that we spent a lot of precious time together; my mother always listened to my problems and never turned me away. I really miss my mother now that she has gone home to be with the Lord. I have no doubt that she is there in heaven, because she was a faithful servant to Him.