Humble Findings

As I walked out to my car this morning and saw a pack of strange friendly looking dogs it didn't seem as a particularly different morning... until I heard an unmistakable "BANG" from a shotgun on the back side of the house. Haha, not all of y'all are in the deep American south. I'm used to this sort of stuff and it didn't bother me at all... but I imagined how many of my friends would've stopped, dropped and rolled to get away from the danger. As strange as this sounds, let me tell you the privelage it has been to learn from the friendly folks. Maiden is well hidden off the beaten path and will take you a few minutes to find it in some hidden back roads and has about 3 stop lights. One remarkable thing about this tiny southern town is that it is dripping with southern charm and some of the best sweet tea you could imagine.

Yesterday I spent 4 hours sitting on a 90 year old woman's couch listening to her many tales about life, love and adventure. This sweet woman's name is Edith Beard Pirkle and she is a legend. She told me of old stories how she or one of her 11 siblings would carry the family kerosene lamp through their house at night to light it. The password was "coming through" and upon saying those words it was "as if you were in a movie.... all of life stopped!" Through a sweet southern accent and with genuine elderly charm it was not as if this woman knew her age she moved better than some 70 year old I've seen. Ms. Pirkle told me that she never wanted to act her age in all of her life so she hasn't. She told me stories of how her father never said many words but loved everyone. He would walk into their house with tears in his eyes, get some of their cured ham that had been hanging in the barn, and package it and take it out to whomever needed food. Many years after his death people had approached Ms. Pirkle saying how their families would've starved if it wasn't for her father. 

I found myself honestly wanting to just cry while listening to her stories. People just don't live like they used to she would say. She said how no one visits with people very much anymore and that breaks her heart. She said how the birds and insects used to sing differently years ago then they do now. 

Ms. Pirkle has lived "everywhere that she ever wanted" and has some of the most amazing stories of them. Her husband had traveled a lot with work so she went with him. She's lived in every state and her favorites are San Fransisco and New York City. Her first visit to NYC was in 1939 and they went to the World's Fair. The whole time she was "pining" to see Yankee Stadium and just watch some real (i can't remember what she called the game... garage something... which is the original name of it).

Discussion on the yankee: 

This past Sunday in my sermon I explained the conflict between the Babylonians and the Jews to set up the background for Psalm 119 (the Jewish response to it all). To do so I asked folks to imagine with me if a group of angry people stormed into the church, kicked us out, burned it to the ground and made us move north to New York. Sheer horror was upon every face in the sanctuary... that was probably the worst thing I could have asked them to imagine. 

A couple weekends ago I went north to visit some friends in New Jersey. When I got on the plane from Atlanta that would be flying into Philadelphia I automatically felt "other." People held themselves in a different way and they talked different. I came to the conclusion the north and the south are basically like two different countries. It was so nice to see my friends up north and we even went into NYC one day. Unlike Edith I was not praying for the moment I could walk into Yankee stadium but I saw the beauty of the north. There is something inherently different between northerners (yankees) and southerners. I don't understand why we see yankees in such a negative way. It's almost like a cuss word to say yankee and most always (here) has the word damn in front of it. Why? 

Southern Sayin's: 
ver yonder- over there (yonder is widely used)
dja- did you... 
aighht- alright?
hant- haunt
well my stars- oh my goodness
bless your heart- arn't you the cutest thing!
in high cotton- your rising in society
every dog has a few fleas- no one is perfect
stompin' grounds- familiar territory
folks- people 
kin- family


there is a whole slew of other ones that constantly make me smile... 


Southern Wisdom: "The two things that will fix the world are wrastlin' and nascar!"
*They believe this, y'all. 


I'm constantly amazed how everyone wants to talk politics here! I feel like that is the best way to start an argument with folks. 


I move on to Durham this coming Sunday! This past Sunday as I stood at the back doors of the church to shake hands and give hugs to "my parishioners" (fancy word for church family) I was amazed how many people had tears in their eyes and asked me how 10 weeks flew by so quickly. They said that I had been a real blessing to the church and that I had changed the way they understood things. I felt so encouraged by these sweet words. 

Distinctly Southern Stuff:

really cheap, alright food.

cherry coke... freaking awesome

"It's Bo time..." always served with a biscuit

Things I will certainly miss... seeing cows in the backyard everyday, fresh corn/ tomatoes/ veggies from the garden, havin' fun on the gator, thick southern accents, amazing home brewed sweet tea, home cooked meals heaping with butter and love, and simple southern ways... like being able to enjoy just sitting somewhere and watching something happen.