More Good Friend and Neighbors
Dearest God, Jesus, Holy Spirit,
Thank you so much for loving us and allowing us to celebrate our thankfulness with family and friends during this Thanksgiving season.
Dear God, we thank you often for all you have done in our lives and for teaching us thankfulness.
Dear Readers, we should all be thankful for our seniors, military and their families and our youth.
We were thankful for our town, Grand Rapids, Michigan, on November 28, 2019, Thanksgiving Day, and we are thankful, today, December 5, 2019.
Dear Readers, last week I invited all of you to come with me Thanksgiving week to the home of Mama Attie and Jerome Newhall.
I was told this wonderful story by Phyllis Hanley, and I will tell you; it was hard to believe. Come along with me and listen.
Miss Hanley said that Attie and Jerome Newhall had five children and they were hard workers in their community. You see, they loved to feed the people more than food. It was always about Jesus!
Their oldest daughter, Oname Jones, lived with her elderly grandparents to take care of them. Every Thanksgiving Day, all of the family must come to their grandparents hone to prepare for the big dinner and fellowship.
I don't understand this, but the town's people will eat first.
"You talking about a pig roast! Mac and Jack, two 500 pound hogs are slowly roasted for three days. The Garland Robert's family is in charge.
All you had to do is just bring something to be the roasted meat in and don't hold up the line. The smell of the roasted meat made cars stop and turn down Alma Dolly Road near Velma Morgan creek.
The land that the "L" shaped house sat on is beautiful; not like a movie star's home, just pretty with some pigs, cows, flowers and a well.
Phyllis said to me, "Do you want to go there? If so, I will take you there to meet the Newhalls."
I went in and the little old lady said to me, "Do you believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shall be saved?" I stood there not able to speak! Then she said, "Whether you do or not, please come to dinner. You are welcome."
I observed this home was not big, but it was full of shelves of food! When I looked out the window from her home there were four buildings. I could see the Freedom Food Store, the Martin Luther King Free at Last Library, Smokey Joe's Café and the Yergan Pulliam Paper and Ink Factory.
On a hill farther away sat God's Church, easy for all to enter. Pastor Gerry Brown was in charge. There was a large sign that read, "Drop all burdens here. Do not come back to pick them up!"
Soon people began to arrive.
There was so much hugging, kissing, children hopping, jumping, baskets, bags and plastic containers filled with food.
The food was brought into the kitchen, where it was sorted, refrigerated and prepared by Attie, Onsme, Cora, Betty Jane and Thelma, who were talking and laughing, about the good old days.
There was a bit of sadness; the large Tom turkey, known as Big Boy, was no longer saying, "Gobble, gobble." His 25 - pound body was now being basted with butter, salt, garlic and the cornbread dressing would bake with him until golden brown.
Kristy Melen was making gumbo full of shrimp, lobster, chicken and okra. I could not stand to see and hear anymore.
I was looking forward to the big day.
Phyllis became quiet and said, "Even though families love each other, there is some confusion at Mama Attie's home.
You see, her half sister had twins, Stella and Della. They had been angry since their mother died and left them both a pear necklace.
Well, as the story goes, Stella did not get her necklace and held it against Dells. Now both will be at dinner. The last time they met, there were accusations and name calling. Della tried hard to make up to Stella and said, "Sister Dear, here, take the necklace. I won't need it. I don't know what happened to the other necklace, honest! Please trust me!"
Stella tried to give the necklace back. Della slapped the necklace out of her sister's hand! The little white pearls rolled away as Della yelled, "I hate you because Mom loved you best!"
Then there was Billy Ray, our cousin, who is funny until he starts to drink. He knows Mama won't allow him in the house drinking.
Then our uppity cousin, Lady Amphoral, her real name is Jane Ann Buggs, She renamed herself and called Mama with the conditions on her coming to dinner.
"Number 1, whose preparing the food; number 2, will there be hand - washing; number 3, her new husband is not used to loud talking and his mother will not eat from paper plates; number 4, nor all of that talking about God and we will not read Psalm 100. We belong to a very conservative church that does yell out, 'Praise the Lord! I refuse to give my list of things that I am thankful for! My husband said something so important to me, 'God blesses the child who has his own!' Look in the Bible!"
Dear Readers, STAY TUNED!
THERE IS A SECRET TO FIND.
Keep reading the GRT.
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