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THE ADVOCATE DEMOCRAT, Crawfordville, GA, Friday, May 17, 2024
He asked them “What are
you discussing so intently as
you walk alone? They stopped
short, sadness written across
their faces.” (Luke 24:17)
Someone once said / didn’t
know I’d have to be tom down
before I could be built up.
Certainly the disciples on the
road to Emmaus had been torn
down. They had heard Jesus
and watched Him perform
miracles. They had followed
Him and placed their hope in
Him, only to see Him crucified
and buried.
A rumor floated around about
an empty tomb, but who knew?
No wonder the disciples walked
along with sadness written
across their faces.
When life tears us down,
sadness seems the only logical
response. Missed opportunities,
financial setbacks, a broken
marriage, sickness and
disability, the loss of a love one.
But God! While things crumble
Jesus builds. On the road to
Emmaus, He walked along
with the despondent disciples,
teaching them, strengthening
their faith, and opening their
eyes to their risen Lord and
Savior.
In the same way, He walks
along side us! We are torn down
disciples today. But He’s right
there to comfort, encourage,
and strengthen us. Amen.
Message From
Wayne Usry
God promises some things
when you ask in sincerity:
for example, forgiveness of
sins, salvation, eternal life, the
presence of the Holy Spirit, and
heaven as your eternal home.
He has not promised health,
freedom from pain, material
prosperity, long life, or escape
from death. He does promise
that whatever the trial, “My
grace is sufficient for thee: for
my strength is made perfect in
weakness” (2 Cor. 12:9).
The purpose of prayer is
not to get God to do our will.
Rather, it is to get God’s will
done through us.
Honoring our
veterans who
gave all
Memorial Day 2024
Monday, May 2 7
Memorial Day
honors the brave
men and women
who have sacrificed
their lives in service
to our country.
These courageous
individuals have given
everything they had to
defend our freedoms
and way of life.
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May 18
Dorsey Cooper
Magy Woods
Curtis Lamar Nix
Jon Baldwin
Elaine Nunn
May 19
Tameka Burley
Shaquille Thomas
Joseph Clemmons
Andre McLendon
May 20
Doug Brown
Crystal Ellington
Hoke Flynt
May 21
Valerie Moore
Reginald Meadows
Eva Moore
Joshua Roberson
Clay Jones
May 22
Donnie Burgess
Joe Sayers
May 23
Keenan Rudison
Eugene Rudison
Jack Lawrence Herrin
Hope West
May 24
Jamie Young
Ellen Kinnon
Norma Pittman
Dorothy Rhodes
Walter Marshall
None
Words of old hymn are befitting for Mother’s Day
By Dink NeSmith
cc TA recious memories how
IS they linger; how they
ever flood my soul”
As we sang those words last
Sunday morning, I thought about
the upcoming Mother’s Day. And
precious memories of Marjorie Dink NeSmith
Vines NeSmith flooded my soul.
If Mother were alive, she’d be 100 on Oct. 11.
Instead, she died at age 90. On her deathbed, she
clutched our hands and whispered to my sisters
and me, “Please don’t worry about me. I can’t
lose, If I live, God allows me to spend more time
with all of my loved ones here on earth. If I die, I
can’t lose. Because I will
be in Heaven with your
daddy.”
Her final words were
“I love you!'
On the way home
from church, I scrolled
through these memories
that keep Mother s spirit
alive in my soul:
■ Mother was a talker.
She grew up in an era
when Lucky Strike
cigarettes had a slogan:
“LSMFT, Lucky Strike
Means Fine Tobacco*
Her girlfriends had
another interpretation:
“Let’s Stop Margie from
Talking"
■ But talking helped
pay for sisters Sandy
and Sheila and me to go to college. She was the
receptionist for Rayonier, the pulp mill with
1,000 or more workers. Mother was legendary
for recognizing voices and remembering names.
Children could call the mill’s switchboard, and
Margie would know their voices and connect
them with their mother or father. When she
retired, two people did her j ob.
■ You could hear her smile in Mother’s voice.
I’ve had people tell me—dozens of times—that
they’d call the mill just to hear her voice, One
man told me, “If I was having a bad day, I would
call Rayonier. Margie would make me smile.”
■ Sister Sandy was 6.1 was 4. A bar of chocolate
Ex-Lax disappeared from the medicine cabinet.
Mother quizzed both of us. We shook our heads.
“Well,” Mother said, “the truth will come out.”
And did it ever. I smiled—because it wasn’t me.
■ On Feb. 9,1964, Mother made the First
Baptist’s youth choir smile, too. My friends and I
were fretting about missing the Beatles’ American
debut on The Ed Sullivan Show, which was being
televised that Sunday night. Mother, the youth
director, said, “Shhhhh. Here’s what you do. Sing
your special song, and while Brother Jenkins is
praying, quietly slip out and go hom e.” That’s what
we did. And when the reverend opened his eyes
and turned around to thank the youth, he was
baffled by the empty choir loft. Sixty years later,
Mother is still their hero.
■ Mother thought all Baptist boys should go
to Mercer University. Better yet, they should
attend Brewton-Parker for two years and then
go to Macon. “But Mother," I said, “I want to
go to the University of Georgia.” “It’s so big,”
she countered. “You should pray about it* I
did. When she asked, “Well,
what did you and the Lord
decide?’’ I said, "Mother, I’ve
narrowed it down to two
places: Vietnam or UGA.” She
barked,“Go, Dawgsl”
■ No doubt you’ve heard
the post office is struggling
and losing money. One reason
is that it is missing Mother’s
tsunami of cards, notes and
letters. She didn’t start the
day without sticking stamps
on a stack of handwritten
missives. She called writing
her ministry. A friend-
battling cancer—showed
me more than 350 notes of
encouragement that he had
received. A doctor’s desk
drawers are stuffed with
uplifting messages in my
mother’s distinctive penmanship, He professed
her words had healing power for him, his staff
and his patients.
In the South, old-timers would say, “That boy
(or girl) could make a preacher.” Indeed, Marjorie
Vines NeSmith could have. She had a scripture
for every occasion. And if she was asked to give
thanks before a meal, you could count on the
biscuits being cold.
But that didn’t bother our three, Alan, Emily
and Eric. They were convinced that their
grandmother had a direct line to God’s desk
in Heaven. They never faced a big test unless
Grandmother had lifted a prayer for them.
Yes, indeed.
“Precious memories how they linger; how they
ever flood my soul.”
Happy Mother’s Day.
dnesmith® cninewspapers. com
(For more commentaries visit www.dinknesmith.com.)
As chairman of the Richard B. Russell Foundation
in 2012, I interviewed (Vlother for the First-Person
Project. The project will be archived in the Richard
B. Russell Library at the University of Georgia. In the
hour-long interview, she talked about growing up
in Southwest Georgia, attending college, the day
Pearl Harbor was bombed, marrying my dad and the
evolution of our family. PHOTO BY CHRISTIAN LOPEZ
TcdjCufiyvto- Counit/
7^oca£ T^feivs.
Jamie, Travis and Easton Young and Tristan Hembree visited
Donna Taylor at church Sunday. They had lunch at Pizza Hut in
Greensboro after church. The Youngs live in Loganville.
Luna Peterman spent 4 days with Gigi, Donna Taylor, last week.
Her birthday is Friday so they went shopping fora bicycle and helmet
for her. She went home Saturday and then to visit her granddad,
David Peterman, Sr, in Savannah.
Melanie and James Finney were so glad to have daughter and
son-in-law, Heather and Brett Howell and granddaughters, Livie and
Maddy visit for Mother’s Day.
Projects for Mother’s Day at the park-with the help of Tito. So
creative.
Christina and Amber enjoying
and relaxing at the park Saturday
after making their Mother’s Day
gifts.
A.H. Stephens
State Park
Vickey Rhodes and her girls, Hannah and Emily, spent Mother’s
Day together with grandsons Jackson and Greyson. She will soon
have a granddaughter, Maggie.
Gwen Markert was in South Carolina for Mother’s Day and had
a great time visiting grandchildren and other family. She did some
roaming around to local businesses (we are sure she shopped!)
and some other landmarks while there. She is pictured above with
granddaughter Harbour (Ruthie).
