There's More to Life than Duct Tape and Spit

Being the youngest in my extremely large family was at times, lonely. I grew up in a world surrounded by adults. Bear with me while I give you the numbers from all sides. My family recipe as a child consisted of one mama, one daddy, one grandmother, one granddaddy, three brothers, two sisters-in-law, six aunts, three uncles, one niece, twelve first cousins, and five "first cousins once removed." My Aunt Mertie was big on that "once removed" stuff. She explained it to me on many occasions, complete with graphs, but I'm not sure I ever completely grasped it to her liking.

The only person I ever recall being removed was me!! Many times I was told to remove myself from the dinner table for being too loud while others were trying to talk. On one such occasion, I found myself in a bit of a predicament when interrupting adult conversation during dinner at my Aunt Angel's house. I was kindly asked to excuse myself. During my first attempt to comply, I realized I had turned myself around in the wooden chair I was sitting in and until then was relaxing comfortably with my skinny knees in between the wooden spindles adorning the back. When I tried to ease out, I suddenly recognized that I was stuck. Apparently my knees had swollen between the spindles and I couldn't move. My mother thought I was being disobedient and instructed me in a more deliberate tone to excuse myself from the table. What was I to do? If I cried, I would be called a baby by the beloved compliant children lingering about. If I failed to get up, my legs would be striped with a switch of my picking. I squirmed and wiggled and tugged at my legs trying to pry them away, but the more I struggled, the more my knees swelled. I didn't realize it at the time, but at this young age the Holy Spirit helped me out of a jam. He reminded me of how peanut butter and ice had successfully removed the bubble gum mangled in my hair a few days prior, proving once and for all there IS more to life than duct tape and spit. Surely the same would hold true for my knees! I politely asked if I could have a peanut butter sandwich and a glass of ice water. My mother questioned how I could still be hungry since I apparently had just cleaned my plate, but I suppose she thought if I were eating, the nonstop chattering from my mouth would cease. After all, talking with one's mouth full and smacking were strictly prohibited. Even I refused to cross that line!

As my mother approached where I was sitting with my request of what she thought would be my after dinner snack, she quickly noticed the unusual condition of my otherwise scrawny knees. Everyone in the house ran to her side as she screamed for HELP! My brothers and cousins laughed and chided, but my precious Uncle Ash came to my rescue, as so often he did for all of us. He and my Aunt Angel never had any children, but to them we all belonged to them. I have never met a couple more equipped at parenting without the experience of raising their own. I whispered to my Uncle Ash about my condition and how I planned to resolve my current state of affairs. With the gentleness of his loving heart, he opened the sandwich and started applying the peanut butter and ice to my inflamed knees, all the while complimenting me for my quick thinking. I began to grin from ear to ear and in no time, my legs were released. As I stood on my feet, I felt wobbly, but he never left my side. I scooted toward the den and Uncle Ash lifted me onto his lap. Now I was sitting in "the big chair" wrapped in the arms of a man who always responded in love.

I encourage you to curl up in the lap of your loving, Heavenly Father and search His Word for whatever you are facing today. He has "the big chair" and all of the right answers. The only way He knows to respond is with love. I John 4:8

God's answers for:

Loneliness: Deuteronomy 31:6, Matthew 28:20, John 14:18

Predicaments: Psalm 46:1, Philippians 4:19, I Corinthians 10:13

Wobbling: Psalm 94:17-18, Isaiah 43:3-5, 2 Timothy 4:16, 17