The Harvesting of Extraordinary Virtues: A Tumble Weed Tale
By Kathy Silvie
Kathy is the former Director of Christian Education at Edgewood Presbyterian Church in Birmingham, Alabama, USA. She is a specialist in children's ministry, a working mom, and "a woman at the well.”

An old adage implies that extraordinary events call for extraordinary measures. Certainly they call for extraordinary virtues as well. After all, the act of generosity is easy when the bank account is full. Being kind is no big deal when life is good. On the other hand, in times of turmoil and pain, it takes extraordinary virtue to respond with love, rather than to roll up the welcome mat, and bar the doors and windows. How very different our response might be, were it not for the teachings of our Savior, and the presence of God.

I learned of extraordinary virtues by way of an extraordinary event when I was a young girl growing up in a part of the Great Southwest known to locals as "WesTexas" (one word, one T, WesTexas), where the extraordinarily harsh earth is coaxed into producing grain and cotton along side the natural flora of tumble weed and sage brush.

The extraordinary event unfolds in my memory. Our community is rocked out of bed one night by explosions. All around town windows are shattered. Mother comforts us in her embrace, hushes our crying, and whispers her prayer that God’s mercy should please be on us in our hour of need. Daddy had been in the war, so he isn’t afraid. He is on the phone with the sheriff. There has been a terrible accident at the grain elevator. One whole silo has been lost, claiming flesh and bone of many workers. The fires light the midnight sky bright. All night long the ambulances scream as they take survivors to help and safety. Daylight brings the tragedy into view, a horrific image for this child of eight young years. No time to explain, time only for quick action. More often, the teaching of faithfulness to a child comes not by word but rather by action. And there is so much action needed this particular day: reclaim victims, console families, and clear away the rubble. Leave the "why?" for the experts. (“Daddy, what does spontaneous combustion mean?”) Leave the love and patience and kindness and gentleness and generosity to God's good people. God's good men go to the scene, helping with their strong muscles and courageous hearts.

The storekeepers open wide their doors, giving away supplies needed for rescue and recovery. God's good women take to their kitchens. I am assigned to stir as Mother chops meat and vegetables and pours them into the great pottery bowl. We roll and cut the biscuits, we bake and stew a mountain of food. I feel very grown-up when I wear my grandmother's apron and oblige her orders. She doesn’t say “please.” We wrap the food in waxed paper and Miz Betty who lives down the street puts the boxes of food into her car, and away she goes. We cry a little bit, and then we do it all again as we talk about sudden deaths of daddies, of making good use of our time while we are here. I learn to count my blessings.

This is how God’s light shines in the dark of the storm. This is how we show other people that God’s love is as unceasing as the waves on the shore. Grandmother is a very wise teacher. Mother takes me to the candlelight prayer vigil. Mother says of all the prayers prayed, God especially hears the prayers of children, because they are so innocent, and Jesus loves the little children, all the children of the world. So I pray. I pray hard, I pray really, really hard for the children whose daddies are in heaven now, and for the daddies who are hurt.

I will never forget that day. If what my sainted grandmother told me that day is true, and I double-dog dare anybody to argue it, then surely there is hope for God’s people. Hope and strength and courage to meet face to face the extraordinary events and then to deal with them with Godly patience, kindness, gentleness and generosity. God bless the good men and women. God bless grandmothers and children. May God bless us all with the virtue of love.

<<Back to Archive

View for Printing

Contributors
Staff
Advertising
Internships

Send this Page to a Friend

Add Me to Mailing List