Be open to His messagers

I am enjoying this weather, at least today, and possibly tomorrow. This is just right for me. I don’t like the real cold or the real hot. It would be fine with me if we had South Florida winters here in Texas all winter long. Summer to while we’re dreaming.

Today I went to the flea market to make arrangements to rent a stall for the next couple of months. I was disappointed to learn that the people I wanted to do business had moved. They found another building, just a block away. But, their new building is smaller and there aren’t enough stalls for everyone who wants to rent. So, I won’t be renting one after all. Just as well, since I don’t have all those things ready I wanted to sell. I’ll just relax and build what I want to.

I went on down the street to my regular, once-a-week hamburger at Whataburger. As I got up to leave a black woman got up and approached me. In fact she sort of blocked my path. I noticed her sitting on the other side of the restaurant, she wasn’t eating, just sitting there, until I got up to leave.

She was wearing a hat, covered with pins. They were all patriotic pins, there must have been over a hundred different pins. Most I had never seen. She introduced herself as a Medical Missionary to veterans of the United States armed forces. I guess I looked like a veteran in my grungy work pants and black tee shirt. She had a lot to say, no, she said a lot. But her main message was, “In the name of the cross, help teach our children and youth faith and American history.”

Somewhere in her presentation she told me about her mother telling that she was not African, she was American. She went on to say that her birth certificate even says, “I am an American.”

She spoke as one being highly educated, perfect English, not a hint of Ebonics. She showed me photographs of young people, her children. One was a lawyer, who had twin daughters. Someone in her family once lived on Abraham Lincoln’s place.

I’m not sure what she meant by telling me that. Perhaps it was some response to being called African-American. She believes veterans are not under the spell of our politicians. “You are not puppets of the system,” she said. “You will stand up for what is right.”

I thanked her for having faith in us veterans and for speaking out in courage, and I left her. As I drove away I thought to myself, “She didn’t ask for money.” Now, as I write this I realize that I did not think she was “off” in any way. But what courage she had, to approach veterans and plead with them, “In the name of the cross…help teach FAITH and American History to children and youth.”

I am astonished at the simplicity of that message, yet when you think about it, it is POWERFUL. We do need to be teaching our children and youth what faith is and how to have faith, AND American History. Our school children are not learning the same American History I studied. Our youth are being taught that patriotism is just not cool.

Veterans, however, are probably more patriotic than anyone. Evelyn O’Banion is her name. She is one brilliant woman, and yet so humble.

Thank you, God, for this message and your messenger. Help me be responsible and take this message to our children and youth, and to encourage other veterans to come along side and do the same.

If you are a veteran get on board. Our service to our country is not fiinished.