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

⁴ Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. ⁵ It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. ⁶ Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. ⁷ 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!