Good Morning heartache! Do know that the sun is going to shine in my backdoor one day

"Glad to be in duh house of the LAWD one mo' time!" various members of Wesley Chapel A.M.E. Zion church would get up and testify.  Those kinds of statements were usually uttered by "kinfolk"  stopping by.  Some from other churches, some from the "norf", you know, "up-duh-road-niggaz".

Many came smartly dressed complete with "norther" accents.  (Funny how a person can leave the south for one year and come back "proper" and "siddity".)

"Giving honor tuh GUARD! the head of my life, I greet you from Aber-seen-knee-er Bap-test chuuurcch in Brook-lyn New Yauwk!  I bring good tidings from the Rev-ver-rand Doc-TOR  Paul Olive-ver Ebe-neez-zer Powell!..." on and on for what seemed like "fa'eva!".

We were an equal opportunity church.  Every visitor had to stand and speak. ( God help you if you did not have a home church to brag about.)  "We" wanted to know who you were, "whose you wuz", and why you were there.  You better look good too.  You better have on some fine rags.  You better be driving a fine automobile.  Auto-mo-bile!, not a "ca'".  There was a difference.

I know that time changes all things.  But, I miss those days.  I miss dinner on the "yard".  I know I will never taste fried chicken like that again.  It was fried in lard in black cast iron skillets, along with fried corn, okra (okries), good old collard greens.  All the cakes were made from scratch.  No box cakes here.  It seems there was an unspoken competition.

There was always the "sistuh" that was the best cook.  Some how every one in the church knew whose food to avoid like the plague.  All of the dishes left on the wooden picnic tables would be completely empty, scrapped clean to the bottom.  But, some would be left sitting, untouched, obviously deliberated avoided.   Word got around if you had flies or let cats roam around in your kitchen.

Yes, good Christians do gossip.

I never had to worry about that.  My grandfather was a tall handsome well to do widower.  Needless to say we were well feed.  Brother Walters had a standing invitation to every widow's home on Sunday.

Those pies; lemon chess, coconut custard...fresh real coconut.  You actually purchased a brown woolly hard as a rock coconut, cracked it open, peeled the thick brown rind off and grated it by hand on a hand grater that was ravenous for raw knuckles.

I know that "time changes all things" and "you can never go home again".  But, certain memories you savor.  You keep them because they help to sustain you, keep you from breaking in half.

There was one thing I learned attending that little church in the "country".  "At the name of the LORD Jesus Christ every knee will bow and every tongue shall confess that Jesus is LORD!"

Praise the LORD! Spread the WORD, spread His WORD.  Be healed today!  Pray for the indwelling of His Holy Spirit today.  Don't visit His Church putting on airs, pretending that you are something that you are not.  GOD does not care about what you have on or what you drove up in.  GOD cares about your heart.  Is your heart right?  Does His love burn in your heart?  If it doesn't, don't get mad, don't get jealous, get better.  Salvation is Free!

Be richly blessed.  Be healed, grow and glow.  Remember; "Apart from Christ you are nothing."

Much Love, Peace and Happiness'
Rachel