Thoughtful Thursday

JUST A SWEET LITTLE STORY:

When I was a little girl, we had to walk about a fourth of a mile out of the holler to catch the school bus. About halfway out, there was a creek that we had to cross. If the water was low, we could jump to the other side. If not, we could go up and over by walking on the “bridge,” which was made of two 2X12 inch planks on one side, then a large space, and two planks on the other side. When my daddy drove, he had to line up the tires just right, to drive across.

Every morning, rain or shine, my brother, sister and I traipsed out of that holler to catch the school bus.  It wasn’t too bad in the fall of the year.  The county had provided a little yellow shelter at the end of our road.  However, winter was rough. Back then, we didn’t get many snow days, so we would bundle up as best we could, and make our way to the bus stop.

Just past the creek, our neighbors, Bob and Faye Turpin, lived in a little white house. I thought their house was beautiful! Most mornings, especially if it was cold or snowy, Mrs. Turpin would be watching for us to pass by.  “Come in and warm for a minute!” She would yell. At first, we were hesitant, and didn’t want to be a bother. But she was insistent, so we gave in. Besides, we were pretty cold by that time.

When I first went into their home, the first thing I noticed, was how clean and how quiet everything was. The morning news was always playing on the TV. It might have been The Today Show. 

Then my eyes traveled downward to the coffee table, where Mrs. Turpin always had a candy dish filled with butterscotch candy. I thought they must be rich, to have a bowl full of candy sitting there every day.  Mrs. Turpin noticed my glance.  “Would you like one?” she would say.  I was very shy, but she would always make sure that each of us had a piece of candy before we went back out into the cold.

One day, when I got to school, Mrs. Turpin was my substitute teacher.  When the students took turns reading aloud, she bragged and bragged on my reading skills, and took the time to encourage me. She would never know what a few kind words, and a few pieces of butterscotch candy meant to me! 

Today, every time I eat a piece of butterscotch, I think of her, and just hope that I, too, can be an encouragement to someone. 

1 Thessalonians 5:11 tells us, “Therefore, encourage one another, and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.”

May our kind words and good deeds help to make the world a sweeter place. Is there someone that you can encourage today?

Have a great Thursday!