Nick Bowman Features Editor | 770-718-3426 | life@gainesvilletimes.com
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Tuesday, November 20, 2018
Christmas cheer for nonprofit
Photo by Jamie Reynolds
Jenny Floyd, chairwoman of the Sisu board of directors at left, and Wendi Abel add finishing touches to a wreath that will be part of the nonprofit’s annual Festival of Trees
Gala on Nov. 30.
Sisu fundraiser will
auction Christmas trees to be given to Eagle Ranch, Gateway shelters
By Times staff
Two Christmas trees are brighten
ing up the night this year for three Hall
County nonprofits with missions to help
children.
At its largest fundraiser of the year
— the Festival of Trees Gala — Sisu has
set aside two 6-foot Christmas trees to be
auctioned off and given to Eagle Ranch,
the Flowery Branch-based crisis home
for boys and girls, and Gateway Domestic
Violence Center, which offers shelter and
a host of other services to mothers and
their children escaping violent situations.
Festival of Trees Gala
When: 7 p.m. Nov. 30
Where: The Loft, Scott’s
Downtown,131 Bradford St. NE,
Gainesville
How much: $75 per person
More info: 770-535-8372
Like Eagle Ranch and Gateway, Sisu
also works with children. The nonprofit,
formerly named Challenged Child and
Friends, is a special needs learning group
focusing on children from 6 months to 6
years old.
The trees are the brainchild of Carole
Ann Daniel, of Carroll Daniel Construc
tion and a board member of Sisu, accord
ing to the group’s executive director,
Jamie Reynolds.
Reynolds described the two trees going
to the groups on Monday, Nov. 19: Gate
way will receive a classic tree decorated
by Sisu, and the tree bound for Eagle
Ranch will have a collection of gift cards
spread throughout that will be used as a
reward system at the ranch.
“It’s the right spirit of the season,”
Reynolds said.
The Christmas trees are just two of a
slew of trees up for auction at the gala,
which includes a variety of Christmas
trees and other items.
The trees are an attempt to put a
new spin on the 15-year-old event for
Sisu, which each year raises more than
$100,000 for the group.
Reynolds said the group hopes to work
with other nonprofits in the future, deco
rating trees and putting them up for auc
tion for other nonprofits in the area.
Nick Bowman and Kenneth Mucks
contributed to this report
This year is full of blessings and tribulations
Sometimes, it’ll come up in
conversation among family. We’ll
repeat it. We’ll remember it. But
we’ll still struggle to understand
it.
In every prayer we ever heard
Daddy utter publicly — either
in church, at a family gathering,
or as he blessed the food — he’d
always say, “Dear Lord, we thank
you for the trials and tribulations
of this life, knowing they bring us
closer to thy almighty hand.”
What? Thankful for the tri
als and tribulations? He never
wavered. He said it always and
practiced it faithfully. In the hard
est of times, Daddy thanked God
openly and often. He’d say, “Let
us learn what you’d have us to
learn in the midst of this storm.”
Let me be frank: 2018 has not
been my favorite. It seems like
most days have been a struggle
in one way or another. Deadlines
were unrelenting. Too many at
one time. Aggravations of this or
that. The kudzu grew at a record
R0NDA RICH
southswomen@bellsouth.net
pace. Burt Reynolds died. This,
after I’d spent a week trying to
chase him down, two months
earlier, in Jupiter, Florida. My
migraines increased and stomach
pains were so strong for so long
that I began to think I could feel
cancer eating away at the lining.
It turned out to be ulcers from
a bacterial infection that was so
serious that it took four weeks,
twice daily, massive antibiotics
to heal.
Tink would say, “But look at
how blessed we are.”
He’s right.
Sometimes when I was press
ing toward a hard deadline, and
I’d sigh, Tink would ask, “What’s
wrong?”
“Well,” I’d reply. “I don’t feel
good.” Pause. “And Burt Reyn
olds died.”
I sought to find what there
was to learn and why I should be
grateful. Yes, I was closer to the
Almighty’s hand. The Lord and I
talked pretty constantly even as
I was running from the jaws of a
growling deadline.
Then one day, in the midst of
much gnashing of teeth, I thought
of Thomas Dorsey. Suddenly,
Daddy’s words of thanksgiving
made sense.
In 1932, Dorsey, born in Villa
Rica, Georgia, was on the road,
making a living as a blues singer
when he received word that his
wife had died in childbirth. His
baby boy died two days later. He
came home to Atlanta, struck to
his knees with grief. Dorsey, the
son of a black preacher, turned
to the roots of his upbringing.
One afternoon, he sat down at the
piano and with one hand began
to tap out a haunting melody
as tears ran down his face. In a
moment, his heartbreak gave way
to words.
“Precious Lord, take my hand;
Lead me on, help me stand. I’m
tired, I’m weak, I’m worn.”
From his anguish would be
born one of the most famous gos
pel songs in history. It was Elvis’
favorite. Dr. Martin Luther King’s
last words before the shots rang
out in Memphis were, “Play it
real purdy,” after asking that it be
sung at the next day’s rally. Maha-
lia Jackson sang it at his funeral
and, later, President Lyndon
Johnson was laid to rest as it was
sung, as well.
Once I heard Darrell Waltrip
singing it as he sauntered through
a parking lot toward a restaurant.
“That’s my favorite hymn,” he
said.
It is sung faithfully at every
family funeral of ours. It’s power
ful. It’s tears-inducing. But it’s
mighty in its comfort.
Dorsey would further channel
his grief into another gospel stan
dard, “(There Will Be) Peace In
The Valley.”
One man’s torment, his trials,
his heartbreak gave to the world
two of the most comforting hymns
in history. For this Thanksgiving,
I am thankful for that. Let me
close with the words that ended
every public prayer of Daddy’s:
“Now, dear Lord, we bow our
unworthy heads and give you the
honor, the praise and the glory
for it all.”
That includes migraines and
stomachaches.
Amen.
Ronda Rich is the best-selling author
of several books, including “Mark My
Words: A Memoir of Mama.” Sign up
for her newsletter at www.rondarich.
com. Her column appears Tuesdays
and on www.gainesvilletimes.com.
