I am sure there are a lot of
people I need to apologize to for my outspoken opinion on many different
topics. I am not sure if the reason for
my outbursts and grand-standing is because of my German, English, Dutch, Irish
roots or because of being descended from pioneers. Anyway, I apologize.
My great-great-great
grandparents, Milton and Christiana Brown, came to Oregon before it was a
state. They brought along their 5
children, one of which was my great-great grandmother, Suzanna Brown. Milton and Christiana each received donation
land claims in 1849 near Oregon City. About
10 years or so later they had moved to southern Oregon, near Klamath
Falls. Then they settled in Summer Lake
Valley. I loved finding photos and a bit
of their history in a book called, “Settlers of Summer Lake Valley”. My own personal thought is that it got too
populated in the Oregon City, Portland area so grandpa said, “Pack Up. We’re
moving.” Pioneer, on the move again.
Pioneers were hearty people
who looked for better for themselves and their family. They were compassionate and honest. They were dependable and reliable. Their word was their bond. They worked hard and played hard. They suffered terrible ordeals and they
celebrated joyous occasions. They worked
the ground until their hands bled. They
died young. Most were never wealthy, but
many had enough to live.
It took a special kind of
person to uproot their entire family and move them hundreds of miles from
family and a much easier life. The east
coast is still very populated with millions of people whose ancestors never
left the comfort of their homes. They
emigrated and then they stayed planted.
Some did not, and those are the kind of people whose blood runs in my
veins.
I have been alive over 6
decades now and honestly feel like I have lived a full and blessed life. As a child I always had a roof over my head,
food in my stomach, and clothes to wear.
In fact I had plenty. My father
worked hard and made sure we were taken care of financially. My mother stayed home and tended to the house
and the children as women did in the 1950’s.
As we grew she had a part-time job but was always there to take us
places and do things for us. Dad did not
partake of many things pertaining to children except spanking us when we got
out of line. He didn’t do the school
program thing, or the sports thing, or the church thing. Mom did all of that without him. Like I said, he provided for the family
financially and that was pretty much the extent of it. This of course explains my personal search
for a father figure or a man to complete me and be my soulmate. That is another story, another time.
In having a good upbringing,
despite the un-involvement of a father figure, I found the Lord at an early
age. I was always at Sunday school on
Sunday mornings. Mom had to fight us but
she made us go. It was the greatest
sacrifice a mother would and can make for her children.
Out of four of us children,
two of us are born again Christians and know that Jesus Christ is exactly who
he said he was and that his words are as true today as they were over 2,000
years ago. Being Christian does not make
us better than anyone else it just means we have chosen to accept the gifts
Jesus offers. Those gifts include things
like love, forgiveness, kindness, generosity, peace, understanding, wisdom,
knowledge, and so much more. He told us
to lay our troubles and burdens onto him and that he would ease our cares. He does just that when you come to know him. It’s all in the Word of God, the bible.
Each of us has to ask him to
reveal himself to us. Each of us at one
time or another was searching for something and we were not sure what. Love, acceptance, friendship, kindness,
wealth, power, self-satisfaction, whatever it was, you were looking. Those of us who come to know Jesus know he is
the only truth a person can find on earth and live a peaceable life. You can search and search for earthly and
human desires but you will never be satisfied.
In the end death will take you and you will still have nothing. That is unless you chose to take that leap of
faith and find Jesus. It is really a
very simple step to a life of peace.
No, you will not be spared
from trials, tribulation, and tears.
No, you will not be protected from all harm. Bad things will still happen. We still have to live on this earth with all
the other human beings that do not want to make the choice for peace. But you will be able to make it through the
troubled times because of a peace that surpasses all understanding. This is another one of those gifts I spoke
about earlier.
Right now as we live in this
troubled time and it seems like so many have lost their minds in America, we
all need to remember, this too shall pass.
Many of us that have a peaceable life should always try to “reason in
kindness” with those who are so agitated with so much and taking it out in
violent, harmful, and vicious ways. We
should not lower ourselves to name calling and judgmental remarks. We don’t have to be silent but we can be kind. I am going to really, really try to do better
in this area. In fact, I have been
hitting the backspace bar and delete button far more in the past few weeks than
I have for the past 2 years. God is
working on me still. Hallelujah!
Sorry if I offended you with
my words in the past. I apologize and
ask for forgiveness.
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