Written March 17, 2013   Then two became one,, dying to self

Thursday, I was having a good day and I decided to make chicken and dumplings and take some to my mother. She had been feeling poorly with the crud going around. When I decided to do this my chicken was in the freezer frozen hard as a rock and I wanted her to have them for lunch with some extra for another meal. I took out the frozen chicken and put a bowl of salt water in my sink and put the chicken in and kept changing the water until the chicken was thawed. My mind raced back to a childhood memory of me doing this same thing at another sink some 30 years ago.

I spent a lot of time with my grandma Roberts. She was a real “June Cleaver” her whole world centered around her family. She was the type that the house was spotless and supper was waiting for Granddaddy when he got home. She never complained about her house work or doing for her husband.

. My granddaddy had came home from work and grandma had fixed country fried steak. Granddaddy came in and said, “I was hoping we were having fried chicken.” “I have been thinking about Fried Chicken all day.”...

He went to the barn to feed, he always came home and put on coveralls and boots and left his lunch box and he let grandma know he was o.k. He was normally at the barn about 45 minutes.

Next thing I know is the steak is being covered and put away and I am given a whole chicken out of the freezer. It was hard as a rock.. She hands me salt and a bowl.

I am standing there thawing the chicken doing as she said to rub salt on him (or her) and I asked “ Why are you doing this, why not let him have steak.” Her response “He wants chicken.” My teenage brain and mouth going “So, but you fixed steak.” Her.. “it will make us a nice lunch tomorrow.” No aggravation no resentment, no he don't appreciate me in her voice. I said, “Can't he have chicken tomorrow?” She looked at me and said, “Sister, what if he don't walk through that door tomorrow?” “All he wants is chicken.”.

She said don't let your choices today be your regrets of tomorrow with the people you love. She told m this story of her mom wanting a pecan pie with no pecans, she couldn't eat them but she wanted the pie with out them. She died before grandma did it. She thought it was a silly request. That choice became one of her regrets.

We got that chicken thawed and it was in the pan frying when granddaddy got home. The smile he had was worth all the trouble of thawing a chicken. Such a simple act but such a great act of Love..

Granddaddy passed away two years before grandma of complications of Leukemia. Grandma joined her love 25 years ago today.. She still is touching my life and teaching me...

We all make choices we regret it is part of learning and growing. Some though are us just not dying to self. Let us all remember we are suppose to love as Christ loves us and He laid down His life for us. Mr. and Mrs.  Roberts laid down their lives for each other... I am proud to say I was their granddaughter.