Tuesday; December 3

          Loretta Webb was born in a poor, working class family in Kentucky in 1932.  I am sure that many of her contemporaries lived out their life-cycle not far from their home, but Loretta had a special gift – her ability to write and sing country music.  By the 1960s Loretta Lynn, the coal miner’s daughter, was all but a household name.  Loretta’s signature song, “Coal Miner’s Daughter” was autobiographic and translated into smash movie.  Many of us “boomers” are familiar with her life, time and music; but, as I listened to song recently I was struck by one of the verses, “Daddy loved and raised eight kids on a miner's pay.  Mommy scrubbed our clothes on a washboard ever' day.  Why I've seen her fingers bleed.  To complain, there was no need.  She'd smile in mommy's understanding way.”  In addition to describing how she lived, her lyrics tell us about how the Webbs were raised.  They were taught to find contentment in their lives.  Compared to what we have today, their family was very poor.  I would imagine that even compared to what most Americans had in the 1940s and 1950s they were poor, but they didn’t grumble because complaining doesn’t do anyone any good. 
          Centuries before Loretta Lynn wrote her song, the Apostle Paul taught Christians, “Do all things without grumbling or disputing; so that you will prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world holding fast the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I will have reason to glory because I did not run in vain nor toil in vain.” (Philippians 2:14-16).  When we find contentment in our lives, we stand out as positive examples of people who value life and trust God.  When we fuss and complain, we detract from a statement of faith that proclaims God is with us and will take care of us.  Let’s stay upbeat – it’s a great form of evangelism!
         Think About It!

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