Jonathots Daily Blog
(3237)
It is a matter of common acceptance, if not perfectly proven, that a small town block is shorter than a city one. This may never have been confirmed, but certainly is taken for granted.
About a block-and-a-half from Meningsbee’s home was a brand-new coffeehouse called “The Garson-Fill.”
Even though Richard was not averse to making his own pot of brew, there was just someting fun about walking the short distance every morning to sit in a chair, lean back, drink his limit and order half a muffin.
Another attraction at The Garson-Fill was a lovely waitress named Carla. She was that mysterious age women often reach–where you can’t tell if they’re thirty-five or forty-five. She was beautiful in a rugged sort of way–the kind of well-traveled face that’s like a good map–easy to read.
She was also easy to talk to. After two or three visits, the preacher worked up the courage to do so. He found out that she had gotten married in her late teens, quickly had two children but had been divorced for seventeen years. Her offspring were both grown and on their own, and she had taken the job at The Garson-Fill because she had met the owner at a positive-thinking seminar. Carla seemed to like her work.
It was on visit five–or certainly by six–that Meningsbee realized he was attracted to her.
The idea of being drawn to another woman other than Doris was terrifying. It wasn’t so much that he felt unfaithful, but rather, paralyzed in awkwardness. He hadn’t flirted, dated or even considered mating with anyone else for decades.
But now here was Carla.
She seemed to like him, too–sometimes. It was rather odd. Some mornings he would come in and she would be bubbling and anxious to see him because she had a story to tell or a blessing to share. But when he had ventured to invite her to the church, she quickly changed the subject and started talking about her new duties of baking pastries.
He liked her. He knew deep in his heart that it would never go any further unless he let her know his sentiments, and set up something that didn’t involve playing the roles of customer and waitress.
It took about a month. One Wednesday morning, he cleaned up a little shinier, brushed his teeth a little harder, sprayed his cologne a little longer and headed off to have his usual morning repast–but this time, to finish with a tip and an invitation to dinner.
He was so excited. He was optimistic. He just knew she was going to say yes. There was a twinkle in her eye that let him know that in her private moments, she had considered the two of them together.
For the beauty of a woman is not in her ability to hide, but rather, in her great gift to reveal.
However, once he was at the cafe, some cowardice seeped in. So he took a long, long time chewing on his muffin, trying to work up the courage to ask Miss Carla for an evening of her company.
Finally, the little diner cleared out. She was busying herself cleaning off her last table when he called her to his side.
“Carla,” he said, “I know you know that I am a widower and that I’m the pastor of the church. I’ve really enjoyed our times together here…”
She suddenly interrupted him. “Oh, dear God, you’re not going to ask me out on a date, are you?”
Meningsbee’s left eye began to twitch uncontrollably. How should he respond?
Carla sat down in a chair near to him, patted his hand and said, “Listen. You’re fine and all. No, no. You’re probably better than fine. You just don’t understand.”
Meningsbee managed some speech. “What do you mean, I don’t understand? I don’t understand what?”
She quickly looked around the room to make sure nobody was listening. Assured that they were alone, she whispered, “I like you. I mean, I like you. But I can’t like you.”
Meningsbee must have looked very confused, because she inserted, “Oh, I don’t know how to explain it.”
She stood to her feet to walk away, and Meningsbee reached out and grabbed her apron, holding her in place. She pulled away as if struck by lightning.
A flash of fury came into her eyes. “Goddamnit, don’t you ever touch me!”
Meningsbee stood to comfort her and she pushed him back down. She pointed her finger in his face. “You have no right to touch someone! Do you understand that?”
He did, so he nodded.
She was obviously fighting back tears, and he realized he had unearthed some nasty piece of evil that bewitched her.
“I’m sorry,” he said.
“Don’t be sorry,” she replied. “I mean, don’t touch people unless they ask you to, but…Oh hell. You didn’t do anything wrong.”
“I just thought we could spend some time together,” said Meningsbee. “If that doesn’t work out, that’s fine.”
She sat back down and said, “But it might work out. And you see, it can’t. There’s a problem that exists between us that can’t be changed.”
“What is that?” said Meningsbee, making sure he maintained his distance.
“You’re a preacher, right?”
He nodded.
“You believe in God.”
He nodded again.
“Jesus?”
“Yeah,” Meningsbee said. “I guess it’s kind of a package deal.”
“You’re a Christian.”
“I am. Proudly.”
“Proudly.”
“Proudly,” she repeated louder. “You see, Reverend, that’s my problem. I’ll never be with a Christian. Because for four years, my husband proudly beat me every day … in Jesus’ name.”
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Jonathots Daily Blog 
G-Poppers … February 23rd, 2018
Jonathots Daily Blog
(3592)
G-Pop looked on with a bit of sadness as social media lit up with posts about evangelist Billy Graham.
Many of them were cruel. Matter of fact, an inordinate number were laced with vindictive language and resentment against the deceased Reverend.
He lived for ninety-nine years, so trying to abridge his life into one space of time is completely impossible. So the last generation only has insights on the occasional press release which came from his home in North Carolina and the actions of his son, Franklin Graham.
G-Pop feels the same way about Billy Graham as he does about Michael Jackson. G-Pop is not sure either one of them would appreciate the comparison, but every person’s life, including Michael and Billy, comes down to two questions.
What did he or she do?
What did he or she miss?
Can it be as simple as the good doings outweighing the bad, which means someone ends up righteous?
Yes. Any other standard would be prejudicial.
What did Billy Graham do? He preached the Gospel to the whole world. Granted, it was a particular gospel–focused mainly on repenting of sin, accepting Jesus Christ as your personal savior and being baptized. Therefore he missed the greater glories of the Gospel of Jesus:
Michael Jackson arguably wrote the most unique blend of R & B and pop music ever penned. The tunes were filled with humanity, generosity, giving, joy and tolerance. We also have to note that he missed the opportunity to learn to love himself or accept who he was, and in the process may have accidentally damaged the lives of some young people because he was abused as a child.
Billy Graham stayed married to the same woman and was never involved in a sexual scandal throughout his entire ministry.
Yet he missed the opportunity to link arms with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and failed to encourage the South to join the North, East and West to accept civil rights in this country.
He missed the moment when the gay community sought equality as citizens, and instead evaluated them by his moral code and traditions, dating back thousands of years.
Michael Jackson was generous, childlike and desperately tried to address world hunger while simultaneously destroying himself through drug abuse.
It would be terrible if Dr. Billy Graham were to be known as “Billy Graham Cracker.”
Just as horrible would be “Michael Jackson, child molester.”
G-Pop thinks both of these men established that they had hearts to do more good than bad. The weakness of each one showed up at poor times in their personal histories, but with confidence, G-Pop will continue to respect their journeys.
So every time G-Pop hears the old hymn, “Just as I am without one plea,” he will think of the love, efforts and mission of Billy Graham of North Carolina.
And when G-Pop hears Beat It, Billy Jean and Man in the Mirror, his eyes will tear up over the memory of one of the greatest talents that ever inhabited the Earth.
If G-Pop expects this same quarter when he dies–to be evaluated by what he’s done, minus what he missed, hoping for a positive total–then he must first extend that grace to others.
We must first extend that grace to others.
The producers of jonathots would humbly request a yearly subscription donation of $10 for this inspirational opportunity
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on February 23, 2018 at 3:55 pm Leave a CommentTags: abundant life, abuse, Beat It, Billy Graham, Billy Graham Cracker, Billy Jean, child molestor, Civil Rights, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., drug abuse, evangelist, Franklin Graham, G-Poppers, gay community, grace, judging others, just as I am, Man in the Mirror, Michael Jackson, moral code, North Carolina, personal savior, politics, pop music, prejudicial, R & B, repenting, resentment, sadness, sexual scandal, social media, tolerance, world hunger