Stuff About Things
Letters from our readers are warm, thought-provoking, encouraging. They come (in past two weeks) from South Africa, the Philippines, Australia, Canada, and many sectors of the U.S.A. Often they bring serious questions, and require time-consuming, studied answers. We are humbled by the responsibility. But they also bring brother-to-brother communications, and the sharing of personal experiences. When I wrote about lizards, an Indiana brother had to tell me about the one that ran up his pant leg.
Different parts of the country are identifiable by their expressions. An old timer mentioned "in time work" as opposed to vacation time. Another says today's news-casts " give me the thumps" (excite, frighten. It was "real thoughty" of one to be so considerate of another; and if I will come for a visit one will "churn and kill a chicken." (The last from Jack, who knows how I love Kentucky talk.)
Our parents used to say, "I'll wear you out" if we didn't shape up; and apparently one "Texian" uses that expression. He wrote that in a public prayer he asked God to "wear us out in thy service," and on the way home his little girl exclaimed, "Mommy, Daddy asked God to wear him out." He commented, "Well, that was not the kind of wearing out' I had in mind, but considering that 'whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth' maybe we should ask the Lord to 'wear us out' when we need it." See why I get such a 'kick' out of my mail?
Of course not all the mail is complimentary. One fellow wondered why "Antis" had such petty problems as we discuss on the question page, and he hinted this was due to our "picky" nature. But about the same time that letter came, I was reading from a "liberal" brother (not "picky"), and he was disturbed that they had so many issues like "authority of scriptures, Holy Spirit influence apart from the word, speaking in tongues, and 'youth' and social movements that dominated the church. Independent study and thinking, apart from controlling "centers of influence," will produce some petty problems. But I got the impression this last brother would gladly trade problems with me.
Finally, a letter from Aussie Rolly McDowell saying he and Nancy would arrive in the U.S. in August. I advised him to hold his head high, act like he knew it all, and people would think he was just another "Yank."