CHURNING MILK TO BUTTER

            In a mountain land, on the outskirts of the hamlet Creme, seven days a week the duties of the milk maid, Collette did keep.  Collette Ann Gemm, a pretty lass with an un-pretty limp, tended not one but two cows of moo, while their cud they did chew.  But alas poor lass as her hands grew strong, sore leg did not.

            And it came to pass on a sun lit day that Collette Ann Gemm sat on front porch, churning sweet milk, while chatting with a little neighbor boy.  And when that neighbor boy saw coming down dirt street the preacher's prodigal son, William Ray; he spat out, "Oh no!  Here comes the Bully Ray!"

            Too late he turned to run.  In thumb and fore finger the Bully Ray had his ear.  "Time to lick my boot, neighbor boy!"  And the boy wept while being by ear pulled down to dusty boot.  "That's it!" Bully Ray leered, "More, more tears to wash my boot!"

            "Leave him be!"  From her stool Collette laid law, "In the name of Jesus, leave him be!!!"

            And ear let loose neighbor boy ran, as the Bully Ray stepped up upon that porch, brought his nose o' so close to the nose of the milk maid, Collette Ann Gemm.  And Bully Ray growled, "Well, little gimp legged gal, just how are you going to stop me now?"

            Not a beat of the churn did the milk maid skip.  One hand pumped churn, one hand shot out, vise gripped the nose of the Bully Ray.  O' how the pain made him pay.  And from the throat of the graceful neck of Collette poured forth these words, "Upon thy mouth thy hand lay!!!"

            Too paralyzed to comply, blood dripped down from the nose of Bully Ray.

            Still clamped on to that nose astray, Collette repeated, "Upon thy mouth thy hand lay." And this time he did obey.  Then, Collette the Good Book did say, "As surely as the churning of milk brings forth butter; so does the wringing of the nose bring forth blood. Why force wrath to bring forth pain?  You need Jesus." And she let go. And down backed the Bully Ray; and on porch steps left tears mixed blood...

            So the town folk wondered at the disappearance of the Bully Ray.  For far, far gone was that old Bully Ray; and home come home was the preacher's prodigal son, William Ray.  Oh what a day... when apology he did pay to a certain little neighbor boy...

            Twas on a sun lit Sunday morn three weeks later, William Ray scooted onto a pew next to a certain milk maid.  A maid whose grimace but in a little while, faded to smile.  A fair maid named Collette Ann Gemm, whose strong yet graceful hand... glided long that wood seat pew... found the hand of that new found man... William Ray...

            ...On a ring the collet is the ferrule into which the gem is clasped...

       ...Collette Ann Gemm both collet and gem... ...A Keeper of the Faith...

                                                Proverbs 30:32-33          

CLOUDS AND WIND WITHOUT RAIN

            Once upon a time in the Land of Allegory plowed the lives of Les and Mora Lister. Well, at least Mora plowed. Mora taught children at church, visited the elderly and never counted any in need other than a friend in deed. For Mora Lister was in all deed a planter of God's seed, Jesus. But other than owning Les Lister's Farm Equipment, the only thing Les plowed was a deep furrow in the den easy chair with TV remote in hand. And from that denly throne with electronic scepter in hand, Les Lister thundered an endless stream of 'do-nothing-I'm-gonnas,' promises like clouds and wind without rain. Oh sure, he even went to church; but, "Good for business," was Les Lister's aim of gain.

            And it came to be, one certain Sunday, that a peculiar young lad skipped to a seat down the main aisle of sanctuary. Yet short of his intended roost, that lad stopped in mid skip at the seats of Les and Mora. There, that odd lad turned head and said, "If less was more, you'd be truly great, Mr. Les Lister."

            As the lad joined family three rows up, in full scowl Mr. Lister envisioned violent chastisement of the posterior kind. While wife Mora thought, "Moral crowbars may seem cruel, but be necessary."

            Through time of announcements, hymn and prayer the ruffled feathers of Les Lister had just about smoothed out, when the preacher stepped up. Then the Good Book he opened up, "Proverbs 25:14 KJ, Whoso boasteth himself of a false gift is like clouds and wind without rain." And Les Lister felt burn these words of the preacher, "Why trade empty promise for gain? Why gain the whole world and lose your soul? Be not the sounding brass of vanity without love. Heed the Epistle of Jude 12 &13 NIV, "These men are blemishes at your love feasts, eating with you without the slightest qualm, shepherds who feed only themselves. They are clouds without rain, blown along by the wind; autumn trees without fruit, and uprooted, twice dead. 13)They are wild waves of the sea, foaming up their shame; wandering stars, for whom blackest darkness has been reserved forever."

            On that certain Sunday evening after church, at home in the den Les Lister plowed in a very un-easy chair, contemplating, "Am I just too lazy to love others, or worse?" Les reached for the remote on the side table, but in its place lay planted wife Mora's moral crowbar: an open dictionary with bright highlight. Mr. Lister picked it up, then read the very definition of his purpose: lister - a double moldboard plow often equipped with attachments to stir the subsoil of rain limited land and plant seeds in a furrow. Upon that very page of his purpose, rain fell from the eyes of Mr. Lister... a new born cloud with rain... for in that moment  Mr. Lister became the same as his name... became that plow stirring the soil and planting the seed of Jesus...

            Like the allegorical Mr. Les Lister may we all see by the love of God above to escape the pit of 'do-nothing-I'm-gonnas;' even avoid empty promises for gain. Nor may we be the rainless clouds of tomorrow, drifting in the winds of lost opportunity. For is there not a time to sow and a time to reap? (Ecclesiastes 3:1-2; Isaiah 28:24-26)

            For behold the days will come, when faithful plowman and Almighty Harvester shall be one in the Edenic abundance of hills, overflowing with the fruit of the vine of Jesus (John 15:1-17). Therefore, plow in hope and be partakers in hope... For he that watereth shall be watered also... Rain the love of Jesus... As Jesus rains love upon us...

                                                            ...Plow in all hope...

Please share "Clouds and Wind Without Rain," that all see to do & to be clouds of Jesus' abundant rain.
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