Galatians 6:9 Illustrated

Throughout my childhood years, I had a 2nd Mom. She was my best friend's mother and we spent so much time at each other's homes that Mrs. Kay was like another mother to me.My memories of her are all happy ones! It was fun to go over there. She loved television, always had snacks, and was pretty lenient about what we did. Looking back, she must have had the patience of Job because we girls were pretty silly. We were either laughing hysterically over some ridiculous thing or sobbing!  Mrs. Kay was always "cool" about it - never screaming at us (though I'm sure she would have loved to, at times). My friend's room was our sanctuary and her mom never entered to interrupt our "serious" conversations unless she was asking us if we were hungry - again! I remember several of my friend's birthday parties - tons of dressed up little "princesses" who were indulged & pampered for hours on end.  Mrs. Kay was even brave enough to take quite a few of us to our first grade teacher's wedding. Imagine eight 6 year olds in a car, singing, arguing, laughing, & alternately listening to the complaints of the ones who didn't like the "itchy slip" thing.  And then having to keep us all quiet during the ceremony and curtail our giggling! She was a saint for sure. I've been a first grade teacher for many years and wouldn't have attempted such a feat!
       Besides all these happy memories of childhood, I can still picture Mrs. Kay in her Sunday Morning spot - the nursery.  She loved those babies and toddlers. Year after year, she held, rocked, cuddled, changed, and fed screaming babies.  She had a magic touch that could quiet even the crankiest of "teethers" and never seemed impatient or irritated.  Once in a while a few of us would "help out" in there but after a few minutes, we were ready to "get out of Dodge!"
       I remember asking Mrs. Kay what kept her going back in there week after week. She smiled & told me she was doing her act of service to the church & living out her favorite verse...Galatians 6:9.  "Don't be weary or lose heart in well doing, for in due time and at the appointed season, we will reap, if we don't give up!"
       I have marked that verse in every Bible that I have, and have referred to it often. Don't give in, don't give up - keep on keeping on!  It has sustained me through trials, misadventures, struggles, all sorts of obstacles, and many seasons of spiritual warfare.  Don't give in, don't give up - one more step, one more step. When life seemed unbearable and the trials unending, that verse has helped me stubbornly stand when I wanted to run for the hills. It has cheered me on when I felt that everyone needed more from me than I had to give. It got me up and moving when I wanted to pull the covers up and make the world go away! It has kept me faithful when the light at the end of the tunnel turned out to be a train! It reminds me that God doesn't expect us to do His part, only ours..Ephesians 6 tells us to put on our armor and STAND. Believe me there have been times when even standing took all the energy I could muster but the verse came back again - Don't be weary, don't lose heart, don't give in, don't give up...and it whispers again that this world's problems are temporary - the best is yet to come!
       And along with the verse, there is the memory of Mrs. Kay who lived it out!  She was faithful to her call, doing a  seemingly unimportant and unappreciated job, never expecting reward or acknowledgements, but doing it week after week just the same! 
       Now, many years later, she continues to reap her reward...she has certainly heard those loving words from the Savior she dearly loved, "Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have done well with little things, so I now reward you with even greater things.  Come, enter  your rest!"
       If I can do as well, I will be happy! "Lord, help me be faithful to the end...don't let me grow weary, don't let me give up, don't let me give in..."