The Value of My Village

I hung up the phone this morning from talking with "Ant", a play on words from years ago that my kids named her.  And a feeling of being soul connected, grounded, nurtured swept over me warm.  Ant has known me since before me was.  She has watched me grow up from deep in the south, via Christmas cards and phone calls from my parents.  There was the occasional visit over the years when I was a teenager.  One time in particular, an offhand comment by Ant that I overheard, laid itself in my heart.  "When we go to Alabama.....well, if the Lord wills that we go...."  That small thing struck me important.  This woman knew where her times lay, knew Who her times lay with.  

"Grammy" to my kids and I, Nancy was a rock planted in my life garden several years ago.  She had the courage to speak hard words to me when I needed to hear truth untarnished.  She nourished me back to health when I was laid flat with divorce and my world rocked violent by making me grilled cheese sandwiches burnt to just the right degree for my taste and packing me care packages of chocolate to take with me to work and giving me a place to sleep at night; sitting on the edge of my bed and praying over my heart that laid sad and heavy in my chest.  

Grandma Judy.  She has come along more recent.  A bright flower that believes in us and showers us with her time and gifts especially picked out because she pays attention.  She is who God used to put us in the middle of God's plan for us at school and she did it unaware at the time.  She moves in quiet and unobserved most times, a solid sure smile, a wink of "that's my girl" that my spirit so misses from my daddy gone to heaven.  

I type these words crying grateful, deep tears.  These women are Him to me.  There is value in leaving the door of your heart open to the wise, allowing them to speak and to pray.  To instruct and encourage.  To shoot holes in your faulty thinking.  They have guarded my heart when I was careless with it.  They've seen danger and called it off quicker than I did.  They have invested in me, in my kids, and sharpened me because of it.  

I am a wealthy woman because of the gold of these women.