Grandma Henke

I think of myself as a self or otherwise appointed cheer leader of mankind.   For some reason it has always seemed to be my job to say “Atta boy, you can do it!”    Since I truly believe we all CAN “do it” I take the assignment very seriously.   I’ve been asked to speak at an upcoming women’s conference on how our personal relationship with Jesus Christ can help us through difficult times.  I’ve been enjoying reading and studying about it for the last month and what keeps coming to me is “how much we are willing to give”?

I was born in 1947, soon after the depression.   The little town of Draper, Utah, where I was raised was a farming community and although we must have been what you’d term “poor” I never felt like we were because everyone else seemed to be in the same situation.    My parents worked hard to provide us with shelter and food and clothes and we didn’t have excess in any of those areas.     They never complained or blamed anyone for their circumstances … least of all the government … and what they had they were always willing to share.

I kind of miss those days when people didn’t complain about their circumstances.    When people just did the what needed done without complaining that someone was out to get them, or owed them, or was using them.   People took care of their families and helped their neighbors because they loved them.    It was a wonderful little community and I felt very safe … and not the least bit poor.

We’re going to get a chance to taste a little of that time now with our present economy.   I hope and pray we can do it as nobly as the people who raised their families with my parents.     Whining about it or laying blame or trying to get out of the hard times ahead isn’t going to help.   We need to buckle down and work harder and be grateful for what we do have.     For sure we need to quit wasting … and focus on “needs” instead of “wants”.  If we stay true to our personal beliefs (mine is in Jesus Christ) and a strong value system based on integrity we can “do it”.    It may not always be easy or pleasant, but we can do it.  I know we can.

The test will come in how much we are willing to help those who have less than we do.      Will we just help the ones who “deserve it”?     My parents didn’t think about it … they just loved their neighbors, and everyone was their neighbor.    I want to be like them.