Friday, April 11, 2008

 

Unconditional Love Series

 

Proverbs 10:11 “The mouth of righteousness is the fountain of life.”

 

Gone With the Wind

 

I had two wonderful great-aunts in Cronicville who would have had a conversation in the late 1950’s that would have sounded something like this. 

 

Aint Essie: I talked to Chawls and Agnes yestaday on the phone and he said he was leaven out of Mowbeel and comin up thru Etlanna, Jawja to the fahm in Cronicville.  He told me they were gunna stop in Newnan at lunchtime and get some bobbycue with light bread.  He also said that Agnes was gunna tote back a new arn and an lectric fayan fur the kitchen.  

Aint Neudie:  Chippah is comin up with his Uncle Jack and Aint Tinky. They gone stop at Bumminham and drop off Sheron and then they are goin to Shalot, Nawth Calina.  You know Tinky is from Nyawlins.  Agnes done said the families been everwhichways.   When they git here I’m gunna fix em’ an Eyetalyun meal.   It will be nice to have kumpny for supper.  

Aunt Essie:  Usually a body can’t git a minute’s peace around this house but now I feel like I’m livin’ in a coffin.   I believe a storm is comin up.  Why don’t you come over and have a co-cola.   And we’ll sat next to the chimney.  You can pull up a cheer and we’ll just sat a spell.    The poor dawg is so lonely.  She’ll take it kindly to have a little kumpney.    I believe I’ll drank me a glass of iced tea.   The house is so quiet I feel like haints might be here.  

Aunt Neudie:  Can you go down to the bottoms and pick me some oakree?   There is a big hawg that got out so be careful.   Please stop by the store and get me some griyuts for breakfast.   I have a gracious plenty of everything else.   Oh wait, I might want some goobers to eat!   Can you bring me smore cornbread to eat with my pot likker and fat back?   I can’t wait to see Chippah.  I want some sugar off him.  I know they’ll be tard after their long trip.   And I’m gunna put the quietus on them goin’ down to see Bunnie Mae until after they’ve rested up.  I can’t wait to see how Agnes’ har looks.  Last time it was mauve.   By the way, Essie, Chawls said, they saw some dawfins when they was at the beach.   Fixin’ that dinner will be a heap of wuk and I’ll be plum wore out.  

 

I love the uniqueness of the old Southern dialect in the 1950’s.    I loved, not just the old conversations, but the values.   It was a way of life that is now completely gone.   In our world many of the Christian values seem to be just as gone as the conversation in the South in the 1950’s.    If we are not careful what is uniquely Christian about us will be lost.  It may be better that the old Southern conversations are gone with the wind but the uniqueness of Christianity must never be lost.   That way of talking was very much a part of a generation ago.  Let us work so that our faith doesn’t dissipate as well.  

 

Prayer:

Dear God, help me to always talk the talk and live the life of a true Christian. Amen.