Pneumonia and just how smart of a boy are you?

 Well as I recall I was in about the 5th grade and we had one of those spelling tests from Mrs. Beth Shumate in Grainola.  I don't know about you but a couple of things I just dreaded, one was a spelling test on paper and the other was a spelling test where you lined up in front of the class to be humiliated by my lack of spelling acumen.  Debbie Jones who was and still is one year older than me and Joy Frank which is number 6 of the Grainola 5 and sometimes 6 club (you have to go read the older stories to get it) both could spell everything correctly.  It was not a fair fight/contest.    Luckily we did not all get trophies for participation and I should mention that Jimmy Heath could spell everything as well.  But what really hacked me off was when I was asked to spell NEWMONIA or Pneumonia.  Sure I got it wrong and Jimmy got it right.  HOW?  It was not fair.  Who ever heard of having a P at the beginning of a word that has no sound?  The great thing about those spelling contests was learning about humility and how to lose with grace.  I do believe I can honestly say I never won a spelling contest.

Today I heard a friend (a lady) speak that left home when she was 12 because her step-father was an alcoholic and abusive and then she lived in a laundromat for 6 months.  She shared that what she learned was what she did not want in life.   She also shared that her 3 siblings were all drug attics (for those of you who did not catch it, attics is in the ceiling and addicts is the other)  and in and out of jail.  She got her GED and became a nurse for 16 years, had 3 failed marriages, six children and contributes where she is today is because of God's protection and leading in her life.  Her story went on but it was one of the most inspiring stories.  I loved this item she shared:  There is a highway to hell and a stairway to heaven.  Another way to say it is, "you can go to hell in a hurry or take the challenging way and go to heaven".  How about the old poem:  yard by yard is hard and inch by inch is a cinch.

I find a lot of wisdom in all this.  When we make things to easy it is easy to be lazy and apathetic and in fact there becomes a reliance on others to take up the slack.  I guess folks around Shidler and Grainola never gave much thought to relying on the outside to take care of them.  They persevered and depended on themselves.  I am thankful for not getting a trophy.

So, what do you learn in the Osage?

• The best things come from overcoming
• Winners never quit and quitters never win
• God promises us only one thing in life, problems or should I say a stairway with the knowledge that we get to chose a highway to hell or a stairway to heaven

Thanks for listening,

gary

gary@mylifelegacy.co