Wednesday, July 16, 2014

LESSONS OF MY SS CARD

Long story about my social security card
....this June when my driver's license expired I had run out of times to apply via the internet
I'm rural right?  
So I have to drive into another town to renew my license where they discovered
when I gave my social security card
that I had married
17 years ago
they told me that my new DL would be kicked out of the system so I needed to update my SS card and couldn't believe I had "gotten away" with it all these years
I'm rural right?
so...I drive into another bigger town to the SS Office

(please forgive my attitude that I am about to expose to you)
It was my birthday and I had a gift card and a few gift dollars to spend so I planned to 
"pop in" and get my name changed and go shop
it was like the Wal-Mart Shoppers only scarier

3
three
THREE
3
armed guards
(mostly to make sure all cell phones were turned to silent)

I took a number and began my
wait
for 1.5 hours
in which time I saw
all manner of very sad situations
*this is the one that affected me most*

the office was 
full 
but there was a couple and one or both were deaf
they had a small child walking (2)
and a baby in a stroller (infant)
she had a fast food uniform on with flour on her pants and shoes
they were using sign language

(please forgive my attitude that I am about to expose to you)
Her husband gave a "whatever" sign to her as they were walking out and I thought
they're faking it...they aren't deaf..they are faking it

my number was called next and it took me about 5 minutes to
finally make my marriage real in the eyes of the government
and I walked out into the hot summer day
to my luxury vehicle on my way to my favorite garden store to spend my birthday booty
*and this is what I saw*

that precious family
baby on  hip, infant in stroller, flour on pants, speaking in sign, 
waiting on the side of the 
INTERSTATE
in the hot dry Texas Panhandle wind
for a bus

(O Lord please forgive me for that attitude that you saw in me that day)
and I thought to myself as tears filled my eyes
how did I become this mess of a person?
judging, cruel, hateful, haughty, harsh...I could go on and on with the adjectives that filled my heart
and humbled me way down deep

and so I decided right then and there to be different and the way I used to be before I got so
?cynical?
to read
1 Corinthians 13
as often as I feel/think one of those dreadful things that keep one from being a lovely person

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

It was a lesson to me that day and one I have told to a few that I love and now you
it still puts a tear in my eye to think that I thought I was living a life of gratitude, but deep inside somehow

a seed of a weed had crept into my soul

but not to worry...I'm getting my heart back in line


I am working on my garden!

20 comments:

Anonymous said...

oh my gosh, you are such a sweet heart, you touched my soul with this post you truly did,

Karena said...

Gina you are not alone, it IS easy to become cynical with all that we see. The other side of it though is there are some of us walking around looking perfectly happy and healthy, with major health or personal issues, (that one would never know by just looking ) I have been humbled a couple of times in this way and so try to remember that I never know what another is going through.....

xoxo
Karena
The Arts by Karena
Interview with Raji

Marissa said...

Gina,
God has a way of reminding us to be humble and pure, to love one another as he loves us.
There is always a lesson in day to day life. We just need to pay attention.
Beautiful post!
Thank you for sharing:)

bj said...

bwaaaaa.....this one made me tear up.
I am so guilty of judging before I have a clue whats going on. I have to work at it all the time. We are all so quick to judge...and HE, in Heaven, just wants us all to love HIM and one another. Such a simple thing...as I said, I work on it every single day and pray that I won't judge ANYone.
Sweet post, dear one.
xo

White Lace and Promises said...

Thanks for the reminder. Honey, I live in a rural area too and yes, I have to go 30 miles to get mine renewed. They make me come back another day because I didn't have everything. Then when I go back the computers are down and I need some other things. The SS office is in that town so I went to get what I needed. When I get back, they tell me that I need to come back another day. I put my foot down and I said, "I'm not going anywhere. I'll stay here all day if I have to." I paced. I was out of control, pure manic or mean one. Anyway, yes, I had to ask God to forgive me and I even asked the people beside me waiting to forgive me. I got there when it opened and left around 3:30. So yes, I needed the Love Chapter.

At Rivercrest Cottage said...

Bless you for sharing this episode. It is a great reminder to all of us to appreciate what we have and to respect others. Thank you.

Revi said...

Gina, I love to see how the Holy Spirit works in us - we are all imperfect works in progress with only the promise that one day we will be complete and perfect through Jesus...but while we are still here, we do these things that make us cringe. Lord bless you for sharing with us. I need to learn that lesson better as well. :)

Tina@WhatWeKeep said...

Ah, such a rich lesson.
Dear, sweet Gina- you are a good heart. Nothing will convince me otherwise.
Hugs, T.

StagerLinda said...

Gina--Just thanks for keeping it real.

Row homes and Cobblestones said...

Gina,
This is a very heartfelt post. Thank you for posting and reminding us to be humble and kind.
Vera

Optimistic Existentialist said...

What matters is that you are introspective enough to have seen this in yourself and that speaks volumes about the wonderful person that you are :)

Unknown said...

We ware constantly bombarded with the "bad" in the world, it's so easy to become cynical. We all need to take a moment and think about was He said in Corinthians. Thank you for sharing this story, it makes me think about how cynical I've become.

Woodside Park said...

Dear Gina - We are not perfect, and I thank you for sharing this with us. Good reminder for us all to be humble. And happy belated birthday!

Jan said...

That is one of my favorite Scriptures - I have cross-stitched so many times over the years on wedding samplers. We all seem to get impatient at times. That verse always brings me down to Earth.

bj said...

I've mentioned this amazing post in MY post for the day. Would you kindly come by when you can..?
Thanks and much love, bj

Stacey said...

Oh this is such a great post. I came over via BJ's loving mention of you today. We all get that little seed of a weed from time to time. This is such a great reminder. There's not a day that passes without me realizing how blessed we are. Others don't have life nearly as easily as we do and we can't forget that.

Ceekay-THINKIN of HOME said...

A wonderful reminder we all need. I have been on the other side of being judged. Sometes I hear people in store saying that I don't need the sitting cart. It hurts some because they have no idea what I have been through. Just because someone doesn't "look" sick doesn't mean they are not sick. I used to think some of that myself.

Algodão Tão Doce said...

A amizade nos faz ver o mundo com olhos novos.
Feliz dia do amigo!!!!!
Beijos Marie.

Mr Paul said...

You are a very special human being Gina. We all have our days, as so we should, because its days like this that help to steer us in the right direction, to be the kind of person we all would like to be.
Gardening is the coolest way to realign oneself.
Lots of love.
Paul x

Anajá Schmitz said...

Emocionante história, agente fica compadecido de algumas situações. As vezes nos sentimos culpados por sermos tão feliz e sortudo enquanto outros batalham e sofrem tanto para ter alguma felicidade na vida.
Bjos tenha uma ótima semana.