December 2013 Articles

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Just Rambling, December 2013

Just Rambling:
As most of you that read my “Just Rambling” know, I have experienced a health problem in the past few months. This health problem has affected the sight in my left eye (the peripheral vision primarily). All of my vision has been affected to the extent that I have to wear glasses practically all the time now, especially when I am driving. My father had to wear glasses practically his entire life, starting as a young boy. I can remember Daddy complaining about his glasses on many occasions, especially them fogging over. I really didn’t think much about his complaining, but now I do. I really dislike having to wear glasses all the time and have done my share of complaining. A few days ago in Ruston, LA, I was stopped at a red light, when a young blind man came up the sidewalk, stopped, then crossed the street in front of the traffic. As I sat there watching the young man maneuver across the street, I felt ashamed. Here I had been complaining and, don’t get me wrong—it is a pain to wear glasses, but at least I have adequate vision left that I can wear glasses and continue to enjoy reasonably good sight. I pray that in the future I can refrain from complaining about my vision and, if I do complain, may I always think about this young man and others like him that go through life not being able to enjoy the sights of this world. May I think about how brave this young man and others like him have to be to maneuver through the streets of life.
A few days later, Donnette and I were in Farmerville and I stopped in Dollar General to get the stevia sweetener for my coffee. As I made my way through the aisles of the store, looking for the sweetener, I saw a young couple with a small child. Being just an aisle over, I couldn’t help but hear their discussion. The young lady was explaining to her husband how they could buy a few items and boil them with a ham bone to make a meal for them and their young child. This really caught my attention—here was a young woman trying to plan a meal or meals for her family. Just the way she spoke led me to believe she was a very loving and caring young mother and wife. As she spoke, an air of independence was in her voice as to say, “I will take care of my family”. As she and her husband talked, their conversation exhibited love and respect for one another. The young child (a boy maybe 5 or 6) was very quiet and respectful of his parents and the store around him. He wasn’t grabbing everything , as is so often the case with young children today. Oh, by the way, this young couple was not obese and if I was a betting man I would bet they were paying for their food with money they had earned, not money that had been given to them. I don’ t know if you have noticed, but there is a difference. Most people spending their hard earned money are more selective when shopping; planning and thinking about purchases, while most of those not using their hard earned money just go down the aisle, piling their carts full with very little thinking or planning. As I left the Dollar General that day, I felt so refreshed to see a young couple who, though probably not very well off, were a loving, traditional (man and woman) family with an independent attitude of self-sufficiency. This is what you normally saw in past years, but today it is more prevalent to see self-dependency on the government. As I got back into the car, I was so uplifted that I had to share my experience with Donnette. I hope you can appreciate it, too.
This past weekend, I watched a show about our space program that was started under President Kennedy. Several former astronauts were interviewed, but the interview with Gene Cernan was so inspirational. Mr. Cernan was the last American to walk on the moon and his remarks were very humbling. He said, “As I looked out at the earth from the moon, I felt that I was on God’s front porch looking down at a small part of God’s creation.” He also stated “I don’t know how anyone can deny that we have a Creator”. As we approach Christmas, let us all remember God—our Creator and His son, Jesus Christ, that was born of the virgin Mary and died on the cross for the sins of all mankind. Enjoy your families, but most of all, be thankful to God for both our spiritual and temporal blessings in this life, and look forward to our home in heaven. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Van Bennett and Family