CONSIDER THE LILIES!
I was a stay at home Mom! After we settled in the Oregon countryside of Sam’s Valley (Central Point) I found myself far away from everything. Jim would go off to work and the kids were picked up by the school bus and returned late in the afternoon. Then I met a neighbor! Margaret and I became fast friends, however she also worked! She was a floor manager at Goodwill where they sorted all the donations and trained the handicapped employees to become self reliant and perhaps employable. She asked me if I would like to come to work for Goodwill and be her ‘sorter of clothes’. I jumped at this opportunity! However, I could only start work after the kids left for school and I needed to be home before they returned. I would also need summers off! It was worked out and I was a working Mom!
Margaret introduced me to a huge round turntable, about 10' in diameter with clothes piled just as high in the middle. She showed me how to separate whites from dark. Those that need dry cleaning and/or mending. Then there was the rag bin! I sorted and sorted and met some of the most interesting people. I did that for 2 ½ years when a job in the office opened up.. We realized that we were in need of a larger home and this job would help us to afford that. Danny was almost 12 and Jennifer was almost 11 when I became the Executive Secretary to the Executive Director of Goodwill Industries in White City, Oregon.
During my employment at Goodwill, I bought all our clothes, shoes and even furniture there. Every January a shoe store in northern California, would donate the previous years shoes. All Goodwill had to do was pick them up. I remember buying Danny a wrist watch for Christmas from a department store in town. At school one of the kids wanted to know what time it was and the other kids said; "Ask the rich kid"! I have to admit I dressed my kids very well at a price we could afford. Sometimes I was able to buy clothes with designer names!
Years passed and of course, Danny wanted more. He wanted what the other kids were wearing. By that time, Danny had a part time job and would buy his own designer shoes and clothes. I refused to pay those prices, but on occasion I did give in because I did understand!
To this day, I still hate to pay big prices for shoes and clothes. Sometimes I do and I will even give the kids gift certificates but I still like to go into the local Goodwill and shop. The prices are more than they were in the 70's but I still feel good about a bargain, especially if it is new. Believe it or not, a lot of the times then and even now they are new! Great bargains!
I love the scriptures where Jesus is sitting on the mountainside and he comes to the point in his sermon where he wants to "consider the lilies". In Matthew 6:25-33, Jesus makes it clear that we are not to worry about our lives when it comes to what we shall eat, or drink. How we will clothe our bodies! He reminds us that our life is more important than what we shall eat, drink or wear. Jesus says that the fowl of the air do not sow, nor do they reap or even gather into barns, yet our heavenly Father sees that they are taken care of. Jesus reminds us that we are much more than they. Jesus says that we should not worry about such things. Even the lilies of the field, without doing anything, grow and are more beautiful than Solomon in all his glory.
In verses 31-32 Jesus goes on with; "Therefore take no thought, saying, what shall we eat? Or; What shall we drink? Or, how shall we be clothed? God the Father knows what we need"! My favorite is verse 33-34 when Jesus says; "But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Take no thought of tomorrow for tomorrow will take care of itself". One day at a time is sufficient to deal with the evil in it.
By Jane Ann Crenshaw 5/23/08
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