Loving "The Broken Ones"

"Blessed is he who has regard for the weak; the LORD delivers him in times of trouble." Psalm 41:1

Dear Praying Friends,

This past Monday morning, I drove Hannah Beth and her friend down to Montgomery to spend a week learning about the government with an organization called Teen Pact (www.teenpact.com). After I dropped them off near the Capitol, I headed back up the Interstate. On my way home, between Clanton and Prattville, Al, lies a community called Indian Grave, which is where my husband pastored Indian Grave Baptist Church for a little over two years back in the early 90's. We have many dear friends who live there, and last week, I asked you to pray for my friend Ann, who is struggling with cancer, struggling to the point that she is not receiving any more treatment. It had been almost a year since I had last seen her when she had so graciously opened her home up to me to spend the night after a Greene's concert down in Prattville. This time, to be honest, I was a little apprehensive about seeing her. I had heard that she was having a very difficult time, and I just didn't know exactly what to expect...what I didn't expect was the outpouring of GOD's grace and love to my own heart being in Ann's presence. Ann gave me permission to share about her and I wanted to share her life and love with you, my friends and family.

When I got there, Ann wasn't home, and I knew she was expecting me so I was a little concerned. I knew Ann wasn't driving these days, and I didn't know her brother from California was visiting her. The door was open as always, and I walked in and looked around and called out to her, but there was no answer and no Ann. In a few minutes, she and her brother came pulling up in the carport. Ann's brother opened her door from the passenger side, and the first thing I saw was a brace on her leg, and a smaller version of Ann than she was almost a year ago. As her brother helped her get her walker out of the car, I got a lap full of mail from her, and carried it in. Once inside, we hugged each other. My husband had sent them some ribs and chicken from the restaurant, so those had to be put up when I arrived. I felt really badly that Ann who had already been out with her brother, and was exhausted and in pain was now helping me rewrap the ribs that had gotten wet in the cooler. I couldn't get that job done fast enough, I wanted her to rest.

Ann's brother was so kind to share his time with his sister with me, and allowed Ann and me to visit for a good while while he went in the bedroom and made some phone calls and returned emails. Ann, though struggling physically, was very much the same gracious, hospitable Ann, who was the first to invite us into their home when we visited Indian Grave as a prospective pastor's family. She along with her husband Van, had had our family in her home, along with countless others, many times through the years. Ann taught me as a young pastor's wife, what it meant to be hospitable, not entertain, but to show folks you genuinely love them and open your home up to them no matter what the house looks like or what you have in the refrigerator-you just pull it out and share the leftovers. When we lived there, Ann's 3 kids were all growing up, active in sports, FFA, and many other activities at church and school, and they helped out on their beautiful cattle farm- it was always grand central station. Ann and her husband Van, always made you feel welcome, and just like now, their door was always open.

As she sat down, I helped her with her shoes off (I've had a lot of practice with that with my husband lately), and helped her get her leg that doesn't work so well any more up on the couch. There were several ace bandages lying there where Ann's husband's wraps her leg each night to keep it from swelling and to help reduce the severe pain she is in. Ann had her drink beside her sitting on her walker. As we got her situated then I took my seat close to the couch and we started talking. Ann asked about my family as is her way, to think of others. As I sat there, I realized I wanted to be closer to her, and moved to the chair at the foot of the couch. As I laid my head on the arm rest of the couch, i kept noticing Ann's feet, and wanted to ask her if she wanted me to rub them for her. That was really unusual for me, cause it's just not like me to ask to rub some else's feet...but I kept thinking about JESUS washing the disciples feet, and I wanted to do something for Ann to help her. I finally got up the nerve to ask her, and she told me a dear friend who was also in our church at Indian Grave came from school each day and rubbed her leg and foot. She guessed she would just wait on her. I just kept wanting to be closer to Ann, and finally I ask her if I could sit on the couch with her, and she said she'd really like that. I moved to the end of the couch where she was laying down and put her feet in my lap. I guess I asked her again since her feet were in my lap, I honestly can't remember, but somehow I started rubbing her painful foot and leg for her and she said it felt good. I rubbed her foot and bottom of her leg for the rest of the time I was there as we talked...a long time, just wanting to do something to make my friend feel better. Her friend who always comes after school to rub her foot and leg had to baby-sit her grandson that day, and didn't come by. I'm glad the LORD put it in my heart to be HIS hands for her that day.

As Ann and I visited, it was a really special time, sharing our hearts, sharing what CHRIST has been teaching each other( Faith was at the top of both of our lists) and sometimes just being quiet, but the conversation was very real and very genuine...not a lot of chit chat going on. There was a multitude of friends coming by to check on Ann throughout our visit, either through phone calls or stopping by, and eventually Ann's husband came home from work. I eased on out and returned later that evening while he was away at a meeting to stay with her. I had hoped we would have some more time to talk alone, but the LORD had other plans. A young teacher and friend from church stopped by some with some bad news about some health tests done on her. She knew that Ann would be a comfort to her, and she was...in the midst of her own physical brokenness, Ann was more than willing to be a shoulder to cry on, cried with her and was there for her in her brokenness. Here we were 3 women, 55ish and under, that GOD had brought together to love one another and comfort each other in our own set of brokenness...on a quiet Monday evening in Ann's home. When i was a young pastor's wife at Indian Grave, I was the one who was so sick and Ann always seemed so strong to me. Ann related to this young friend some of my struggles, and it seemed to make her feel better that she wasn't alone...and she wasn't, we were living proof of that sitting in that room. In a while, all too quickly, Ann's husband returned, and it was time for me to leave. Van so graciously walked me to the car and now I wish I had taken time to say something encouraging to him...but I didn't. Instead he thanked me for coming and staying with Ann and was so gracious.

I made the short drive to Mrs. Zelma's house where I was staying for the night. Mrs. Zelma and her husband were like grandparent's to our babies when we lived there, and Mrs. Zelma was and is a spiritual Mother to me. When I was going through such a difficult time with my health when John Mac was a baby, Mrs. Zelma was so faithful to "call back" and encourage me by sharing stories of how GOD had cared for her during difficult times in her life. She was always there for me and she and Mr. Warren were always so glad to keep the children for us. When my back was in severe pain, Mrs. Zelma would hold John Mac for me in church. Mrs. Zelma's husband went home to be with JESUS a couple of years ago, and she has missed him dearly, often saying it has been the most difficult thing she has ever been through.

I had already surprised Mrs. Zelma earlier in the evening by dropping in, plopping down and laying on her couch like I lived there. I felt so comfortable with Mrs. Zelma and always have...she is almost 85 now, and we discussed what we were going to have for supper since it was supper time. She said if she were by herself she would eat a ham sandwich and I told her that sounded great to me...so we enjoyed a ham sandwich together before I returned to Ann's. Ann had invited me to stay overnight at her house, but I knew she didn't need the extra on her, in addition to her brother staying there, and I wanted to be at Mrs. Zelma's...I just felt like that's where I was supposed to stay.

When I returned that evening from Ann's, Mrs. Zelma had the garage door open and light on and wanted me to park inside the garage beside her car which I did. She helped me get my things inside (she probably thought I was moving in with all my stuff), and I began to get ready for bed in her cozy house. Mrs. Zelma came in the bedroom, and I found myself sharing my heart with her about a burden I have been carrying around. Mrs. Zelma listened and then she said let's just pray about it and we did. She sat down in a chair, and I knelt at her feet and we held hands and prayed. At the end of the prayer, my burden had been lifted. I don't know how, but I know that GOD heard our prayers and HE lifted my burden from my heart...Later on as I got ready for bed, there sat Mrs. Zelma in her recliner reading her Bible. She was reading her Bible through this year, and was already in Psalms. I asked her if she would mind reading to me, and I laid down on the couch and listened while Mrs. Zelma read Psalm 40 and Psalm 41. I recognized the passage from Psalm 40:1 "I waited patiently for the LORD; HE turned to me and heard my cry. HE lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; HE set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand." What a blessing it was to hear this dear godly saint read GOD's Word to me and comfort my soul. Shortly thereafter, I went to bed and Mrs. Zelma stayed up and watched the weather on TV. They were predicting some bad storms to come through and about 2:00 a.m. Mrs. Zelma came and got me. Mrs. Zelma had already laid out flashlights, raincoats, and even an allergy mask for me so that i would be more comfortable in the storm cellar. We picked them up off the table as we went out the door and made our way to the storm cellar in the lightly pouring rain. We made a memory sitting out there in chairs in the little concrete storm cellar, talking by the flashlight. She had candles in there, but didn't light them because she knew they'd bother me with my allergies. I had no idea until later that Mrs. Zelma was real afraid of storms, and I was glad the LORD had led my steps to be company to her on that stormy night. Eventually, we went back in the house and I returned to bed where I slept like a baby.

The next morning, Mrs. Zelma fed me a warm bowl of oatmeal and orange juice and before I had to leave we enjoyed singing some hymns together and praying together...what a special blessing from the LORD and refreshing time to my soul was Mrs. Zelma's love and hospitality to me. She didn't fix a big fancy meal, which in days past she would have if she'd known I was coming. But just a simple ham sandwich ( and she fixed me one to go too which I devoured on the way home), a bowl of oatmeal, a warm shower and bed, a storm shelter, and a loving heart willing to listen and pray with me was what GOD used to bless me so much and lift a heavy burden from my hurting heart.

Yesterday, as I was ironing in my kitchen after returning home from Indian Grave Tuesday evening, I heard a song called "The Broken Ones" on the Gospel Greats radio show(www.thegospelgreats.com). That song, sang by the Talley Trio, reminded me of the previous two days when GOD had used my friend Ann in her own brokenness to bless not only my life, but all who GOD is bringing to see her. HE used Mrs. Zelma to be such a blessing to me in the simpleness and peacefulness of her home. The chorus to "The Broken Ones" says "She loves the broken ones, the ones that need a little patching up,..."And then this line that jumped out at me, '"It really doesn't take that much, a willing heart, and a tender touch. If everybody loved like she does, there would be a lot less broken ones."

Thinking about Mrs Zelma's ham sandwich, warm bed, loving heart and praying with me, GOD did use her to help patch up my heavy heart. Ann, giving what she could in her weakness, herself, her love, offering for me to stay in her home, and letting me rub her feet was such a blessing to me. She had to humble herself to let me do that for her...and I realized, sometimes, we have to humble ourselves to let people love us in our brokenness. Our pride keeps walls up, and people from seeing our weaknesses and letting them love us in our brokenness. Ann's home and life, even though she is broken in health, is open to anyone who will come, including a young teacher needing some encouragement with the bad news she had just received. Ann could hide herself away not wanting others to see her in her weakened state, but she doesn't. Her door is open to any who will come and "GOD's grace is sufficient and HIS power is made perfect in the midst of weakness," to be a light for CHRIST and inspiration to others in our own brokenness. I am asking you, my praying friends, to please continue to remember this dear family in your prayers today and in the days ahead as they walk in GOD's grace.

Loving "the Broken Ones" just seemed an appropriate title for this week's email...we were all broken in some way that night, and CHRIST's love was what motivated us to love each other deeply. JESUS CHRIST, the ONE who loves us so much and gave HIMSELF to be broken on a wooden cross for your sins and mine, is the one who puts HIS love in our hearts to love "the broken ones." How thankful I am for a SAVIOR who was willing to be broken for us, that through HIS brokenness, HE gives us life and uses you and me to be a channel of HIS love and life to others ..."Love the broken ones, the ones who need a little patching up,see the diamonds in the rough and make it shine like new, it really doesn't take that much, a willing heart and a tender touch, if everybody loved like HE does, there'd be a lot less broken ones."

With all HIS love,

mitzi



"The Broken Ones" by Jerry Salley



Maggie came home one day, with a raggedy, Raggedy Ann,

She said, " Momma look what I found in the neighbors garbage can."

Had a missing left arm and her eye button eye hanging by a thread

She carried it gently up to her room and laid it on her bed with her other dolls.



Chorus:

She loves the broken ones,the ones that need a little patching up

She sees the diamond in the rough, and makes it shine like new

It really doesn't take that much, a willing heart and a tender touch.

If everybody loved like she does, there would be a lot less broken ones.



20 years later in a shelter on 18th avenue,

a 17 year old little girl shows up all black and blue,

needle tracks in her left arm, almost too weak to stand.

She says "I'm lost and need help" as Maggie takes

Her hand, and says come on in.



Chorus:



Bridge

If you call her an angel she will be quick to say to you,

She’s just doing what the One who died for her would do.

Love the broken ones, the ones that need a little patching up

see the diamond in the rough, and make it shine like new.



It really doesn't take that much, a willing heart and a tender touch.

If everybody loved like HE does, there would be a lot less broken ones

If everybody loved like HE does, there would be a lot less broken ones.