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4A ®jje 1) eralb <©a?£tt£ Tuesday, December 21,2021
Opinions
Ruffin's Renderings: As slow as Christmas
BY MIKE RUFFIN
RUFFINML@GMAIL.COM
It was late on Christ
mas Day. The sun had
set and my parents
and 1 were somewhere
between Yatesville and
Barnesville on our way
back home after the
day-long celebration of
Christ’s birth through the
eating of food and the ex
changing of gifts. Into the
quietness of the moment
broke my father’s voice:
“Well, that’s that for an
other 365 days!” And my
ten-year-old heart sank.
How on earth and under
heaven could I wait 365
days for the next Christ
mas to arrive?
At that age the phrase
“as slow as Christmas”
was still packed with
meaning for me. The pe
riod from one Christmas
to the next seemed to
stretch on for a decade.
The closer Christmas got,
the slower time seemed
to move. During the last
few days, the second
hand on my Timex watch
appeared to tick once ev
ery ten seconds. “Hurry
Christmas, hurry fast,”
the Chipmunks sang, but
it never did; “Christmas,
don’t be late,” they also
sang, but it always was.
I confess that to my
child’s mind it was the
Santa Claus aspect of
Christmas—an aspect
that is filled with its own
special brand of wonder
mixed with anxiety—
that made time move so
slowly for me. Looking
back, though, I realize
that there was
a great benefit
to the mysteri
ous, if imaginary,
slowing down
of time in the
days leading up
to Christmas: it
created space
in which I could
experience the
real mystery and
wonder of the
season. In that
space I could and did
marvel over what God
had done in Christ.
Another reason that
time seemed to slow to
a crawl for me back then
was that, once school
let out for the holidays,
I had nothing to do until
Christmas Day arrived.
That has changed, too; I
have not had “nothing to
do” since 1975.
That’s not
all that has
changed. Now
the phrase
“as slow as
Christmas”
mocks me and
my lifestyle.
Now 365 days
go by as if they
are 36.5 days.
It seems as if
we celebrated
Christmas just a few
months ago. Whereas
pre-Christmas time
slowed down of its own
accord during my child
hood, now I have to take
intentional steps to cre
ate space in which I can
experience the mystery
and wonder of the great
act of love and grace
that was carried out by
Almighty God in the birth
of Jesus Christ.
That’s why I am so
grateful that somewhere
along the way I became
aware of the Christian
practice of observing
the Season of Advent; it
gives some structure and
meaning to this time of
waiting for the coming
of Christ at Christmas.
It also provides some
incentive and some
reminders for me to take
a bit of time out during
these days to think about
and to pray over the
great love of God—a love
that we can never fathom
but can grow to appreci
ate more and more, and
to live in light of more
and more.
Time did not really
slow down when I was a
child; it just seemed like
it.
We cannot really slow
time down now. We can,
however, set some time
aside to read about, to re
flect upon, and to marvel
at the Word becoming
flesh and dwelling among
us.
It would be a good
thing, too, if the practice
of slowing down and be
ing present with the God
who loves us enough to
come to us would carry
over into the rest of our
year and into the rest of
our lives.
Mike Ruffin is a Barnesville native
who lives and works in Macon. His
new book, Praying with Matthew,
is available at helwys.com and at
Amazon.
Such a thing as guardian
angels? Believe it, folks
KAY S. PEDROTTI
kayspedrotti@gmail.com
In a recent discus
sion with a friend I love,
she assured me that she
knew I
had a
guardian
angel
because
“you’re
too im
portant
to too
many
people not to be watched
over.” That lifted my
spirits: to know someone
thought that about me.
However, I always
thought of “guardian
angels” in the abstract -
heavenly beings sent by
God’s will for whatever
purpose God intended.
Now, I know the name
of at least one of my
guardian angels, Steve
Walker of Griffin. He is a
full-fledged human being,
a husband, father, and an
honest soul.
On Dec. 8, while leav
ing the Ross store in Grif
fin after some Christmas
shopping, I dropped my
wallet onto the parking
lot and did not realize it.
At my next stop, the aw
ful truth was known: my
driver’s license, credit
cards, money and family
pictures were gone. I
immediately called Bob
at home - he was terri
fied I’d been in a wreck,
he later said, “because
the first thing I heard on
the phone was tears.” It
was some small comfort
to realize I was okay, but
my wallet with all that
important stuff had been
lost - that was not okay.
As I had looked for
the missing wallet, I kept
praying: “God, save me!
Help me! I know I’m at
fault here, but please
let that wallet be SOME
WHERE I can get it back.”
I was sobbing, screaming
and frantic on the phone
- Bob did the best he
could to calm me down.
Suddenly he said, “Hold
on, someone’s knocking
on the door.” My next
little prayer: “God, please
let it be a good Samari
tan.” And it was.
Steve and his wife
Irene stood at our front
door with the wallet
clearly visible, and Steve
was asking if “Kay Smith”
was Bob’s wife. (On
my license my maiden
name is listed along with
Pedrotti.)
Irene later told me,
“I could not believe the
glad look on Bob’s face
when he saw that wallet.
It was like he wanted to
hold his hands out and
make sure it was real.”
The couple had not
planned to go to Ross,
just to return a previ
ous purchase that was
missing parts, Steve said,
“but something told me
to go on to Ross.” When
he and Irene identified
my name and address,
along with some other
important things, Steve
told his wife, “We have to
hurry and get this back
to her. Her whole life is
in here, and they don’t
need to be cancelling
credit cards and all that
hassle.” Irene replied,
“Well, let’s go!” And they
did.
I have since talked
with both of them on the
phone and discovered 1
knew Steve’s grandmoth
er, Elizabeth Walker of
Barnesville. He told me
his parents are Tommy
and Jeanette Walker,
and he lived in Lamar
when he was growing up.
He and Irene have two
daughters, Destiney and
Janae, both attending
middle school in Griffin.
Steve and Irene also have
other children who are
grown-ups in their 20s,
including a daughter in
the military in Texas and
Irene’s son with whom
she was finally reunited
about three years ago.
One of Steve’s sons is
“Steven Karnell Walker,”
called Junior and named
after Steve’s “best friend
when I was in the Job
Corps.” He also has two
granddaughters: Nakyra
Clinkscale, 5, who lives
with her family in Killeen,
Tex., and Kazelynn Walk
er, 4, living in Houston,
Tex., with her folks.
My “adopted angel”
is working in the auto
salvage business now,
after a long time of trying
different jobs. Irene is a
nutritionist in a Spald
ing school and has a
second job at Big Lots.
When they talk about
their children, it’s like it
doesn’t matter which is
whose - they love them
all. The two were married
in 2013 at Life Taber
nacle Church, but now
attend Landmark Church
of God. He doesn’t give
himself credit for what
he did: “God just put
everything in order so
you could get your wallet
back.”
Steve described the
finding of my wallet as
“absolutely amazing”
that while there were
many shoppers, there
was no one walking
around and “I could see
that wallet just laying
there on the lot. It was a
blessing that Bob was on
the phone with Kay when
we got to their house,
so she could be assured
the wallet was returned
intact and everything
was okay.”
This humble child
of God, this grown man
with a big heart and a
loving wife, has indeed
SEE ANGELS 5A
A Friend of Little Children
If I cannot be a wise man, guided by a star,
Let me be an humble shepherd, as all my people are;
For, though I cannot bring rich gifts to Mary and her Son,
And though a lonely hillside is my only Parthenon,
I can feel the heaven’s glory - can hear the angels sing,
And I know they are proclaiming the advent of a King.
When Mary saw the costly gifts, gold, frankincense and myrrh,
I sometimes wonder - wonder if they meant as much to her
As the fleecy little blankets that wrapped her Blessed Child;
And, somehow, when I think of this, I’m always reconciled
To stay out in the lonely fields and follow up the sheep,
So there may be warm blankets where little children sleep.
Wightman F. Melton
Poet Laureate of Georgia
The Christmas Story
Luke 2:1-20
In memory of
Elizabeth Sellers
Dec. 19-25
In those days a decree
went out from Caesar
Augustus that the world
should be enrolled. This
was the first enrollment
when Quirinius was
governor of Syria. And
all went to be enrolled,
each to his own city.
And Joseph also went
up from Galilee, from
the city of Nazareth,
to Judea, to the city of
David, which is called
Bethlehem, because he
was of the house and
lineage of David, to be
enrolled with Mary, his
betrothed, who was
with child. And while
they were there, the
time came for her to be
delivered. And she gave
birth to her first-born
son and wrapped him in
swaddling cloths, and
laid him in a manger, be
cause there was no place
for them in the inn.
And in that region
there were shepherds
out in the field, keeping
watch over their flock
by night. And an angel
of the Lord appeared to
them, and the glory of
the Lord shone around
them, and they were
filled with fear. And the
angel said to them, “Be
not afraid; for behold,
I bring you good news
of a great joy which will
come to all the people;
for to you is born this
day in the city of David
a savior, who is Christ
the Lord. And this will
be a sign for you: you
will find a babe wrapped
in swaddling cloths and
lying in a manger.” And
suddenly there was with
the angel a multitude
of the heavenly host
praising God and say
ing, “Glory to God in the
highest, and on earth
peace among men with
whom he is pleased.”
When the angels went
away from them into
heaven, the shepherds
said to one another, “Let
us go over to Bethlehem
and see this thing that
has happened, which the
Lord has made known to
us. And they went with
haste, and found Mary
and Joseph, and the
babe lying in a manger.
And when they saw it
they made known the
saying which had been
told them concerning
this child; and all who
heard it wondered at
what the shepherds told
them. But Mary kept all
these things, pondering
them in her heart. And
the shepherds returned,
glorifying and praising
God for all they had
heard and seen, as it had
been told them.
10 years ago
Carter’s Drugs down
town was sold to Hines
Pharmacy. There had
been a drug store at
the Main Street loca
tion since the 1890s.
The store was owned
and operated by broth
ers Grady and Stonie
Carter and Stonie’s
daughter Virginia
Carter.
25 years ago
Dr. E.H. Harris, 57,
was named interim
superintendent of the
Lamar County school
system. Harris was to
serve while a perma
nent replacement for
Dr. Jim Jenkins was
found. Jenkins resigned
to take a similar post in
White County.
50 years ago
Milo C. Wimberly of
Barnesville was named
Postmaster in Green
ville, Ga. He had been
officer in charge there
for some time. He is
married to the former
Virginia English. They
have two children Mike
and Franella.
100 years ago
As prescribed in
the Code of the City
of Barnesville, a Spe
cial election is hereby
called to be held on the
Third Tuesday of this
month, for the election
of an Alderman to fill
the unexpired term of
office made vacant by
the death of Alderman
J.W. Garland.
-E.L. Cook, clerk and
treasurer
barnesville.com
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