She fetched a flat-bottomed gray enamel cup from a plain open-fronted cabinet nailed to the wall. She turned with the coffeepot in her hand.”
–Elmer Kelton (The Good Old Boys)
Come on in, Pard. What’s the ol’ sayin’, “another day, another dollar”? Well, here we are, let me look yuh over. Yur sure not wallowin’ in the money, so I reckon, it’ll be more like “another week, another dollar in the hole.” Be that as it may, the coffee’s on and it’s sure ‘nough hot. Plenty strong too, yul be a-likin’ it.
Pard, I was thinkin’ of the above that ol’ Elmer wrote. I wonder, over the years, jist how many times, my wife poured and brought me a cup of coffee. My mercy goodness, I can’t begin to count, not ‘nough fingers and toes. Sure have been blessed!
I don’t know whether yuh’ve noticed or not, but there are plenty of confused folk. Some of the things that spew from their mouths, an’ some of them are supposed to be learned people. If’n a person don’t know whether they’re a male or female, they’re downright confused, delusion has set in. Whenever I see folks so profoundedly confused, I think of what the ol’ Apostle wrote, about God is not the author of confusion ; it’s His nemesis the ol’ devil. An’ let me be tellin’ yuh Pard, a little bit of confusion can go a long ways. Why some preacher, Presbyterian in name, said, “Blessed are those who end pregnancies, for they will be known for their lovingkindness.” Murder is lovingkindness? Confusion–demonic is what it is.
Pard, I won’t ever try to be confusin’ yuh. Tellin’ lies, and worse–believin’ yur own lies, that’s what some of these folks are doin’, they’re bein’ led like a bull with a nose-ring. Jerk on that thing, an’ they’ll move right along. Another preacher from a Lutheran church said, that gay sex is holy. Now, I’m not goin’ to get into that subject, except to say, that no it’s not holy–it’s an abomination to God. Seems to me that we’re jist a-beggin’ for the wrath of God to come down on us.
So, Pard, what do we do? Well, first of all, yuh drink yur coffee, don’t want it to be a-wastin’. Second, we do what we can do where we are with what we’ve got. Don’t give into lies, don’t give into false prophets, preachers, and gain-sayers. Smile at someone durin’ the day, they may need it. Yuh know, the Holy Spirit can work through a smile we give, or a bit of kindness we show. Doesn’t have to be grandiose, jist, plain, simple, and honest. Make sure yur kids and grandkids see what’s right, and what’s wrong. They live in a world that is attackin’ them from all angles, so be a straight-ridin’, straight-talkin’, straight-livin’, Bible-totin’ cowpoke showin’ them younguns how a person is supposed to live. Be sittin’ tall in the saddle, don’t be waverin’ an’ acceptin’ the sort of foolishness and wickedness that is bein’ poured out as truth.
Coffee was good an’ is gone. Company was good an’ now yuh have to be gettin’ on down the road. Be prayin’, be watchin’, be lookin’ up for our redemption is comin’ closer every hour. Don’t be kickin’ up the dust as yuh ride away, an’ of course yul check yur cinch before yuh mount.
Vaya con Dios.