Yesterday's Wisdom
While many continue to seek material things, time grows shorter. Jesus warned us “in the last days, it will be as in the days of Noah.” He said “people would carry on with life as usual; eating, drinking, marrying.” He was not saying these things are wrong. He was simply warning us there would come a time when it would be important to not be blindly focused. As time draws nearer to the end, we will need the skills of those who have moved Heaven-side before us. To “move forward,” we will have to “go back!”
Some of us have been blessed to grow up with our GrandParents still alive. I was one of those blessed Children. My Granny’s were a living well of Wisdom. One of my GrandMothers not only deposited Living Water into me, but taught me many things that will help me in hard times. I learned by simply watching her how to sew buttons on shirts, make biscuits, and use a window fan when there is no air conditioning. Another GrandMother taught me the skills of home canning, gardening, and the value of a good thrift store. God doubly blessed me keeping my Great GrandParents in my life as well. To this day, I remember there is nothing like a drink from a dipper in a bucket on the back porch. Though I had no idea the impact or importance of their presence in my life then, more and more now I see the value of their lessons.
One of the most important things we can learn from our ancestors, is not to be ruled by money or “things.” Jesus warned us of the danger of such. (1 Timothy 6:10) We are to be thankful for everything God gives us, but never allow those things to become more important than He is in our life. We should understand that God blesses us so we can be a blessing to others. May we cherish the lessons from a simpler time and never become slaves or silenced by the un-almighty dollar!
Granny would want us to know ….
We could all benefit in taking lessons from those before us. Sadly, in a material-driven world, much of their wisdom has been erased. Lord, help us to gather every good teaching from the past! Help us to go back and gather them as they will be needed more and more soon. Our world is crumbling, prices rising, and store shelves often scarce. Our prayer is that within this page others may find something helpful for today from days gone by …
The most important thing we can take away from the past is that Bibles weren’t laying around collecting dust. They were never just table decorations or tucked away in bookshelves. My Granny was victorious through many terrible hardships in life because she kept the pages of her Bible open … and not only did she read it, she applied it. We could all gain much from that!
In a world full of people running their mouth, Granny’s silence speaks volumes. I can remember her telling me “You can’t always say everything you know.” It took many years for me to understand how valuable silence can truly be! Granny had something in common with Jesus. Even He taught us not to cast our pearls before swine. {Matthew 7:6}
Though we do not recommend or approve drinking alcohol for recreation, we do recognize the wisdom in our elders to use it as medicine. How many times did a Granny cure an ailing cough with a “hot toddy?” In a world full of dirty chemtrails and much germ warfare, sickness abounds! In a distant past, whiskey was a house staple, especially during the winter months. What a quick remedy for bronchitis even now! (Yes, we do use it when needed. Sorry Christians ~ we won’t argue with Granny, it does work!)
There was always something fascinating about Pa’s well. The bucket seemed to call my name every time we visited. I remember being drawn to it, though I had been warned not to play with it.
On one particular summer day, I recall watching Ma draw the water in. Her tiny arms pulled and pulled on the bucket. Though she was small, she was determined. It never mattered what she set her mind to do, she always accomplished it. Pulling the water from the well was no exception!
Ma took the water to the back porch where we drank from the dipper. She poured the cool, sweet water into the bucket and stood back to watch. She smiled as we each took our turn drinking the water. I remember to this day how good the water was. At Home, we drank from a faucet. Here in the country, the water just seemed to just feel better on your lips. I never remember that water not being cold.
On another summer day, I recall when I understood hos Jesus is much like Pa’s well. My Vacation Bible School Teacher told me a story from the Bible. She said there was a woman drawing water from another well. This woman had lived in much sin and had a great need. I didnt understand how the water could help her with the issues she had.
As my Teacher brought the story alive for me, I began to understand more about Pa’s well. Jesus had come to the well just because He knew the troubled woman would be there. I thought it was pretty nice of Him to stop by. He could have just kept walking.
The story was a beautiful one. Jesus and the woman talked alot that day about her problems. She was surprised He even knew. I thought that was pretty silly, since I already knew Jesus knows everything. I was right, too. Jesus told the woman EVERYTHING she had ever done. I hoped He wouldn’t tell me. At least not in front of anybody.
My Teacher explained that Jesus didn’t really come there because He was thirsty. He came because the woman was. Jesus gave the woman something she had been looking for ~ He gave her Living Water. He told her once you’ve had it, you’ll never be thirsty again! I couldn’t imagine not wanting another drink from Pa’s well. My Teacher told me it wasn’t THAT kind of water. She kept talking about Jesus. I couldn’t help but love Him.
When I think of Pa’s well now, it takes on a different meaning. Tucked in the shade of the trees around it, that well took care of all my summer thirstings. Just one sip from the magical dipper and I was ready to go play some more. It never mattered how many times I ran back to the porch, one drink made everything better.
Jesus has been the quench for everything in my life that goes dry. I understood now that no matter what comes to dehydrate me, He will satisfy. If I come to Him like Ma came resolved that day, He will never let me walk away without my bucket full.
If you’re thirsty and dry from the parching of this world, remember Jesus made a promise. He said He will give us Living Water ~ water from The Well that never runs dry. Though Pa’s well had within it the best tasting water, cool and clear, Jesus gives us something Pa’s well never could. Pa’s well no longer takes care of me when I’m thirsty. It has become a bygone memory, from a sweet childhood day. Jesus’ Living Water continues to soothe me, no matter how seared I may be.
May we never stop drinking from The Well!
~selah.
What a treasure we have in our Granny’s quilts! Hanging in a room where we see them often, we admire the work of their hands. How straight are their hand-sewn stitches! How lovely the memories of childhood “spend-the nights,” when we were all snuggled up under one of them! Granny never worried if the fabric didn’t match. She simply made good use of everything she had on hand. We never worried about it either. All we knew was we were warm, and Granny’s quilt wasn’t the only thing keeping us that way. Her love had a way of getting deep down inside.
There’s alot to be said about a hand-stitched quilt. The lessons in each block tell the stories of well-worn hands. They speak of a distant time, one of greater appreciation for so many things. It is never fair to say that times were “easier” then. The hard work sewn in every seam of Granny’s quilt teach us differently. May we never lose sight of the work ethic Granny’s time passed down to us! Let us always remember to be thankful for what God has given us and use it wisely, without waste.
Granny knew salt was a valuable medicine! Use warm salt water to gargle during sore throats or strep. Gargle daily to kill bacteria and as a sore throat preventative.
Kosher Salt may work best, but Granny used regular table salt.
Some will say it’s only an “old wives tale.” Some will swear by it. All we know is every GrandPa on the planet believed it and passed it down. We still find ourselves repeating their words when we see the wooly worms come out.
Christmas at Ma and Pa’s house always held a special kind of magic. Their Home was like a step back in time any day of the year, but especially during the holidays. An apple and orange in a brown sack was a much-treasured gift. As a small girl, I found so much joy in Pa’s table filled with candy orange slices and soft peppermint sticks. He always made sure we got his special treats.
How often do we take for granted the heritage that has been passed down to us? Lord, help us to remember the things that made us who we are today! May we always be grateful for the ones who showed us love in even the simplest ways.
Granny lived in a time when home canning was a way of life. I remember how I loved when she would let me go to the canning house with her. Inside, the many different colors caught the sun’s rays and sparkled in the light. The jars were many different sizes and shapes. One could find every kind of bean God had created on those shelves.
How many winters did we eat our suppers made from the canning she provided? Granny understood the importance of storing up when food was plentiful. She was always preparing in the abundance for a time when there was lack.
We should all pause from the conveniences of our world now and learn the ways of home canning. Jesus warned us there is a time coming when food will be scarce. He spoke of famines. When the time is upon us in this country, will we know how to survive?
The Amish learned a thing or two from Granny. Both know that chewable baby aspirin is a commodity to have around.
7/25: We can personally testify to its help. In a recent trip to the emergency room with chest pains from severe coughing/bronchitis, 4 baby aspirin cured the pains instantly! Curious as to why this worked, we did our own research. Who new baby aspirin had so many good uses! We have discovered it to be a miracle worker for inflammation!
Any of us who grew up in a latter time would never argue that things felt simpler then. Time seemed to slow down. A calm, peaceful day replaced the hectic, louder ones of today. That is something we truly miss. Ma and Pa never got in a hurry! There’s a great lesson to be learned in that. We can rush along with the hustle and bustle of life and never really get anywhere. The push to climb the ladder grows more and more evident by the second. What a blessing we had in days gone by! Lord, help us all to remember that WHERE we are headed in life is far more important than how fast we travel.
My goodness, how TV’s have changed! How many of us remember having only “2 channels?” We even had to get up to change between them because the remote wasn’t around yet. The daily news wasn’t as scary then. Our idea of weekend entertainment was Saturday morning cartoons.
To this day, we cannot see one like this without recalling those TV shows from our childhood. They were definitely different then! Don’t be fooled, even in a simpler time, there was still some “conditioning” happening then. However, it was sure easier to turn the knob and find something without offensive content. We would all do well to screen our TV viewing deeper and remember to line up what we set before our eyes against God’s Word. He warns us to “set no evil thing before our eyes” with good reason. {Psalm 101:3}
Sadly, most public schools today do not teach simple life skills. In these quickly changing times of economic distress, we should all be sure there will be times of struggle. Are there things you should be teaching your Children now? Can they sew on a button or mend their hems? Is it possible this is something even you may need to learn? Let us all remember often there are no warnings. We can go from a time of plenty to a time of famine instantly. Though our closet may be filled with the finest clothing, a sudden disaster could mean we must “make do with what we have,” just as our GrandParents did. Begin now to teach your Children those things that will help them as the Bible comes true.
Funny how even a picture can bring back memories. How many of us had a good Granny who not only had this stuff in the cabinet, but a million other miracles at her disposal?
Those before us had a wise saying: “The eyes are the window to the soul.” This saying came directly from the Bible, as most of their words did. Matthew 6:22-24 says “The eye is the lamp of the body.” Jesus went on to tell us how our eyes must be healthy, meaning we are to keep our eyes looking at good things. Granny understood the importance of keeping her eyes focused on Jesus. She also understood that eye contact can tell us alot about a person. In days gone by, there were no cell phones to keep a person looking down, or away from faces. People were able to look into the eyes of others and comprehend much. This is unlike our times today. With rare face-to-face conversations and so much texting instead, we seem to have lost the value of a good set of eyes.
There is an eye that most do not speak of. Granny knew a thing or two about the eye that can see into the spirit realm. Not only was she able to see into the eyes of people and learn the inside of a man, she also carried within her the gift of discernment. This spiritual gift allows some to see into the war happening around us at all times. This war is spoken of many times in the Bible. We could learn many valuable lessons if we only understood the very real nature of this battle. How important in these latter days to tune our EYE to the right things and to see them as they truly are!
Sometimes it can be the simplest thing that brings the most joy. It would do a whole world good to understand that right now. Oh, how we looked forward to a visit at Granny’s house just to get our hands on this book! When the Sears Christmas Wish Book showed up on her table, we knew the holidays were just around the corner. She would give us an ink pen, and we would circle everything we wanted under the tree. We knew we couldn’t take the book home with us because every GrandChild would have their turn dreaming inside it.
I hope we never forget the Wish Book. Honestly, it saddens us that so many of the sweetest things have been lost to another generation. Perhaps a bit of “slow down and enjoy the little things” is a gift we could all use in this late hour.
Everybody’s Granny had a button tin, right? She came from a time when nothing could be wasted. When shirts or dresses became stained or worn out, Granny made good use of all that was left. She cut the fabric into strips for rags. The buttons were snipped off gently, and placed in the tin for later use. If we were lucky, Granny would let us go through the tin, admiring all the different kinds of buttons inside. Do you have your Granny’s button tin? There’s a priceless lesson living inside it. Every button comes in different shapes, sizes, and colors. Some days, we need the blue button. Other days, we need the brown one. Granny would want us to know people are like that, too. Every person God created holds worth. Every person we meet in life has something we need. Sometimes we need the “bright pink and happy” kind of people ~ some days its the “down-to-earth forest green” people we need. Just like Granny, let’s not toss anything out and cherish everything inside the tin.
As time etches forward into another side of eternity, we continue to lose the deep lessons of yesterday. Granny knew to regard the lessons that came in all kinds of people. She was always watching for the teachings that came in ordinary folk she passed along the way. Some people teach us how to act. Others teach us quite the opposite. If we make a habit of paying close attention to others, we can discover deep wells of wisdom in all we learn from them. Remember, there’s a lesson to be learned from everyone!
