"Karma" aint original ...

Karma seems to be a popular word today, as I hear it in usage daily it seems. But this isn't some beatnik, feel good Hindu philosophy here .... although that may be the tone in which it was intended. Somewhere amidst all the unfinished products and projects around here, I started accumulating some common phrases in our daily small talk lexicon and was surprised at just how many are Biblically based. Maybe one day I'll get all them ducks in a row.

God said it right clearly by stating - you will reap what you sow. Living a life that revolves around "A number one" solely, hardening your heart to the point where you become callous to the sufferings of others and no longer possessing the capacity for compassion will inevitably bring you to a point of despair.
And it's likely to be in YOUR old age ... when you finally look around and see there is no one there for you.



I started this post to speak of my grandparents, for most of us have at one time been blessed at one point in our lives by their nourishing love and care. This is not to downplay the role of the parents or to take away from their needed and longed for relationship also. But this will address our eldest.


Young folk (or older) ... do not neglect the time you have been so generously allowed to share in their love. It seems that quality time is too often passed over for the most trivial pursuits there are nowadays. There is a fount of wisdom and experience there that will likely be lost if we do not cherish it enough to hear them out. All my grandparents have passed unto sleep now but I'm most grateful to God that I was allowed the time to reestablish our closeness. Kicking the bottle to the curb helped. I only wish my son had heeded my imploring him to visit his great - grandparents - how many get that opportunity ?


Both of them were born and raised in South Carolina, and were married there. Some time in the 40's they moved to Virginia with their 4 children. My grandfather Eddie was rejected from military service for health reasons and the younguns. He started working military construction sites and had to travel over several states. I can still recall him telling me about his first job at 15 or 16 y/o working at a plywood mill.
I remember alot of good stories ... and time to time I'll play 'em back.

I recall my grandma (Ruth) telling me about working at a canning factory but I don't remember at what point in her life. She had what I would term a pretty hard upbringing. Times were hard for most folks and this was country living. Gardening duties are expected from all from the day you can walk almost. Grandma wore out a - many a hoe. Her father was a preacher and evidently he thought no more of working her and her sisters, than he did for the boys. They were out there digging stumps too ! She told me of the time when her and grandad started courting. It was customary for the girls to wear nail aprons and scatter dried cow dung out across the fields. Well, one day grandad drove up and rescued her. Pulled her out of the field and said - aint no woman of mine gonna make my biscuits with them hands !

Grandad was a carpenter of the old school. He seemed to have a special knack for wood and structures. The crews he worked with built alot of houses. This was back when you didn't have generators to plug them fancy saws in, or pneumatics to reduce your labor to a trigger squeeze. A 2 by 4 was what it should be - 2 inches by 4 inches ... and that 16 penny nail was a big shank rascal too. And let's not forget that ol hard yellow pine !


I stated working with g.dad and the boys when I was about 16 and then "did my time" with my uncle who was a painter. Boy, thought I ... slap a lil paint around, pound a few nails and pick up a paycheck - it's party time ! WRONG. 40 foot ladders, 6 inch paint brushes, 22 oz. framing hammers, 16 foot 2 by lumber and all the relevant gopher duties ... takes a lil more outa ya than one might imagine. I've dug them footings sans backhoe, that is, by pick 'n shovel. But I learned a bit - and I survived. Now - if I'd only paid more attention like he told me to, maybe I wouldn't find myself having to relearn some things over again !

Men in our family never used the word "love" much. It was understood, an affection was shown and deeds seemed to speak louder than words. But I eventually joined those who overcame this conviction and freely used it ... and I'm so grateful God softened my heart in this instance. We men show our love but women need to hear it. Far too often I've heard others say things like - man, I wished I would of at least told her I loved her before she died, I only wish ...

Don't wait any longer ! You will feel better and indeed a burden will be lifted. I would of shed blood for my mother and grandfolks, but for years of my maturing adulthood I neglected the simplest of things. But I rectified that and did it in time.

And as is often the case ... grandma was the church goer. G.dad only as he got older. They were simple folk but they were quite content with what God had blessed them with. Material things were quite limited (and unwanted), but they had a very close family and a grandson who lived just down the road to answer their beck 'n call (well, grandma always said I was her favorite !). Uncountable are the hours we spent in discussions during her last 10 - 12 years over Biblical matters. There wasn't a single bone of pride or arrogance in her body - and I say this because I have her old Bible she kept records in. She had read the Bible thru 74 times. But for all we discussed, I never could get her to see the Christian Identity truth. Nor the falsity of the jewish issue, the rapture doctrine, etc. Very disturbing to me but it had to be left in God's hands. I have a belief regarding this but have not quite fleshed it out.

This post may be a little disconnected and rambling, but my original intent was - cherish and respect our elders. Don't be so quick to be judgemental, to holler and curse them. Do you know their current situation ? How bad off might they be, or what calamity may they of recently undergone ? Time can be such a heavy weight and much can happen over a lifetime ... good Lord willing, you'll be old one day and then you'll know.


I dearly miss my grandparents. I don't regret anything I've ever done for them, only that I wish it could of been more ... and for a longer period. But, they are no longer here. I guess you could say I "adopt" some elders at times. I'm one of those guys who is never too busy if I see someone in need or in trouble - I will make the time. Do we fully appreciate how so little can mean so very much to folks who may never get a ray of sunshine ?


Like I've tried to encourage the youth, and others in South Africa - find you someone to help. It's not a selfish or self glorifying act. If this kind of behaviour doesn't warm yer heart, then you got other issues. What can you do around the house for them, can you help them with security, how about running errands or grocery shopping ?


Proverbs 20 : 29 -


The glory of young men is their strength : and the beauty of old men (women) is the gray head.