Four Years, One Month, and Seven Days . . .
Over a year ago, I shared with you the story of Ray’s daddy’s service in World War II. How I would love to hear Wes tell his stories one more time!
Yes, I called him Wes. It was so hard to do that. I would be so embarrassed when other people heard me call this wise, distinguished, elderly gentleman (his picture should be beside that word in the dictionary) by his first name. I did it for one reason–he asked me to. The only way to really show love to someone else is to show love the way that person wants to be loved–even if it makes us feel uncomfortable.
Sandra Collins taught me that lesson when Ray and I had been married only a few months. An elderly lady in our church needed help cleaning her house. Sandra went to her house and got down on her hands and knees to clean her floor–in a skirt. Mrs. Detheredge always wore skirts. Sandra wanted to honor Mrs. Detheredge, so she figured out how to clean her floor in a skirt!
Back to Wes . . . He loved to tell us that he went into the Army a few months before Pearl Harbor. Like other young American men who had been invited to serve (whether they particularly wanted to or not), he was supposed to be in the Army one year. Well, all that changed on December 7, 1941 and Wes was in for “four years, one month, and seven days.” We heard those exact words many times.
I remembered his words just after this scene happened in my house Tuesday morning.
Son-in-law Nate, shipping specialist Ethan, and home-remodeler and all-round-great guy “Mike” moved the claw-footed tub into our emerging bathroom six weeks and four days after The Project began! Let the plumbing hook-up begin!
Sometimes things take longer than we think–like house projects and stints in the Army, but loving others the way they want to be loved–we can do that anytime.
In everything, therefore,
treat people the same way
you want them to treat you,
for this is the Law and the Prophets.
Matthew 7:12