Ment oring…
To Bless and Be Blessed by SHIRLEY WINDHAM, MARILYN TINNIN, and ELIZABETH PERKINS
One generation shall commend your works to another, and shall declare your mighty acts…Psalm 145:4
MY FRIEND, MARY JAMES BLAKEMAN
One thing I’ve learned about the South is the importance of family history and heirlooms. Our family history is a covenant family history. What happens when you trade Milwaukee, the Beer Capital, for The old phrase “blood is thicker than water” works well for some, but King Cotton? Bratwurst for fried okra? You guys for y’all? I can tell “Christ’s blood is thicker than any other” is what has brought and you one thing, that kind of seismic shift is not pretty. Moving south the bound Mary James and me together and places our family history in day after my high school graduation forty-two years ago ended my life the context of thousands of years with God’s people. My grandchildren as I knew it. I became a catfish out of water in the Mississippi Delta. I rock in great-grandmother’s chair, drink from Mary James’s couldn’t understand the accent and they hated mine. I had no grandmother’s goblets, eat with her Aunt Margaret’s flatware, all understanding of southern culture and no culture of my own other treasures she has shared with us. But we’re living with a mighty fine than the fact Michael Jackson and I were born in the same hospital. I heirloom, her. And we are together heirs of the greatest inheritance, had no idea what a transitional dark-colored cotton wardrobe for fall Jesus Christ. was and I knew I was in trouble as soon as I asked, “Who is Boo It’s not just boiled custard, fluffed pillows Ferris?” I also didn’t know Jeremiah 29:11 and teaching me the scientific name of every “For I know the plans I have for you, says green plant on earth (which she absolutely the Lord, plans of peace and not of evil, knows). “Some folks just don’t do right,” was to give you a future and a hope.” a favorite phrase of one her late husband’s Ten years and three children later a friends. I can count on Mary James to jerk a lady from the church holding a jar of knot in my tail when needed and I know of a soup showed up at my front door. In few others who have received a summons to my way of thinking that lady must want her Pickwick-paneled den. Hebrews 12:8 something. She did. She wanted me to says that faithful chastening is the mark of know the truth of 1 Thessalonians 2:8 legitimacy in the life of a Christian and “We loved you so much that we were when I need it, how grateful I am that she is pleased to not only share the gospel willing to point me to the direction of our with you, but our lives as well.” Heavenly Father whose image and name we Through that jar of soup and that bear. That is the good stewardship-of-thechurch I met Jesus and then Mary Shirley Windham, granddaughter, Shirley Cate Miller, gospel life of a mentor. James Blakeman. Then there was that cloudy spot on a CT scan Mary James never set out to mentor me. Mary James Blakeman, and daughter Erin Miller a year or so ago. After two weeks in the hospital she and I sat in the It just happened, that magnetic north meets south. Literally. As much doctor’s office, Mary James in her black patent leather motorcycle as I needed her and loved her, she somehow just as much needed and jacket and I in a cold sweat. The doctor nervously shifted the scans loved me. “James” showed me with her life what it means to admonish from one hand to the other searching for the words to say and ever the younger women to love their husbands and children, to be discreet one to assure and reassure, Mary James leaned, put her hand on his, and chaste, and a homemaker. She needed the chatter, antics, and and said, “You can tell me what I need to hear. I’m not afraid. What spirit of three little girls while their mama needed to learn the ropes ‘ere my God ordains is right.” There she goes again, reassuring before she ended up hanging herself with one. As I look back I see everyone else and fearlessly speaking of Whom she has believed. She what an adventure she signed on for. reads me the stack of notes that fill her mailbox and asks me to pull up James faithfully talked and prayed me through dark providences, Octavius Winslow on my I pad so we can read what other articles of always encouraging me with the truth that “what ‘ere my God ordains spiritual encouragement he’s written. is right.” Her trust in God’s Sovereignty became my trust. Her Mary James is a living article of spiritual encouragement. As we confidence in God’s purposes became my confidence. Her faith that pulled out of the parking lot at the doctor’s office just about one year all things work together for good became my faith. Hers has not been ago today she smiled at me, “Remember, Shirl, this is our big an encouragement toward self-reliance but encouragement toward adventure!” Yes, it truly is. For He knows the plans He has for us, plans dependence on the faithful God of the Bible. of peace and not for evil, to give us a future and a hope. What’er my She rejoices along with me in the brighter days and reminds me God ordains is right and all things have worked together for good, for that every blessing is worth counting. My children and grandchildren my good, for Mary James loves Jesus and has been called according to rise and call her blessed and “Grammuvver,” too. In sharing the gospel His purpose. and her life we have become her family and she has become ours.
30 MAY 2012 ❘ Metro Christian Living