A Good Man

One year ago if you had asked me my opinion of men you would have thought I was the most bitter, hateful person you ever met. I couldn't stand them. I thought that there was absolutely no hope for ever finding a descent man, let alone a good one, to even be friends with. The thought of just about every male I knew made me nauseated. I thought that no good men could exist because men were inherently bad. Ridiculous, I know, but suffice it to say I hated men. It took me a few months but I got over that and finally decided that there had to be at least one good man out there somewhere. They had to exist. Someone had to have raised their son right and actually brought him up to be a truly good man. I wasn't looking for a super-human man or someone without any flaws; just someone with a good heart and good values, strength of character, and deep down a good person. I never suspected that I would actually know such a man; perhaps hear about him or maybe cross his path and that was it, but I've met one. He's got his bad points, his flaws, bad habits, and weaknesses, but deep down he's a good man. He's tenderhearted, a great listener, a loyal friend, has a great mind, is respectful, and he actually thinks about things before he does something. Although he might not agree with me on this, he has old-fashioned values, when he doesn't let those around him talk him out of them. He values what is valuable, has little use for what is trivial and in so many ways he is a real man and not a boy masquerading as such. This is a big pill for me to swallow, but I want to do it. I spent so much time hating men and telling all my friends that no man was worth loving or caring about, much less even knowing, and now I would like to take that all back. They do exist. Perhaps not in the fairytale way that young girls dream of, but in a very real, tangible way. Somewhere in this great big world parents are still raising their sons to be real men, good men, and I'm so glad they are. So, Mr. Darcy, despite all your quirks and all the critiques I could make, I'm so glad I met you.

Note

If you are new to my blog or you are a returning visitor and need a reminder this note is for you. In case you need a diversion or are looking for something interesting to read check out my other blog Urban Bus Adventures. There is a link for it at the bottom of the page. If you feel like it you can even leave me a comment on what you think. Imagine that!

It Is Well

Life sometimes is hard to deal with. There are rough spots that seem to be more troublesome than anything we ever thought we could handle. There have been many times when I have wondered if I was going to make it through some of these "spots" and if so how I was going to do it. Just about that time is when the Lord is always so faithful to remind me that He is still God, He still in control, and He is still with me. He has never left or forsaken me. There is nothing quite like being reassured by the Lord. I've been having several weeks of rough spots and I have been praying that the Lord would help me get through them and give me strength to do all the things I need to do. He has done all that, but even more precious is His reminder that all is well. I heard a hymn that I know very well and love very much. It talks about all the things that may happen in your life - the good, the bad, the pleasant, the hard - and it says that through it all there is one thing that we can be sure of - it is well with our souls. If there is any comfort I have, no matter what is going on around me or in my life, it is knowing that because of Jesus it is well with my soul. There is nothing that can snatch me from His hands, nothing that can pull me from His arms. When I gave Him my life so many years ago we made a covenant that cannot be broken. I don't always live up to my end of the deal, but He never fails at His end. That's why I can say with confidence it is well with my soul. My heart may be broken and maimed, my mind may be clouded and unable to reason correctly, my body may be sick and in need of help, but still I know that it is well with my soul. I am my Beloved's and He is mine and it is well with my soul. Oh the peace and comfort that washes over me when I remember that! Jesus is still with me, He still walks beside me and carries me when I can no longer go on, and He is still the Friend Who sticks closer than a brother, the Shepherd Who guards His sheep, the Savior Who redeems and heals. What a wonderful Savior He is and how wonderful to know that because of Him it is well with my soul.

The Bell

At work there is a desk bell that sits on one of the service counters and is there so that in case we don't see a customer standing at the counter they can ring the bell and let us know they are there. Now, I HATE this bell. It is one of the most obnoxious things I have ever come across. It rings so many times in a day that I sometimes hear it ring when there is no one there and a few times I have heard it in my sleep at night. As I said before, I HATE this bell. But, that is life and it is a part of my job, so, I cheerfully continue on, answering the bell every time it dings. However, there is something that I cannot abide - rude customers. There seem to be several medical students and medical office personnel who insist on ringing the bell twice or even three times if you do not appear at the counter within 1 second of their ringing the bell. And then there are those who insist on ringing the bell when they can clearly see that you are on the phone and cannot attend to them at that moment. How rude and inconsiderate is that?!?!?!?! Does working in a medical building or being a med student give you the right to mistreat people? I often want to ask them how they would like it if I stood there at the counter and kept ringing the bell at them. However, it is my job to be friendly and polite. That means that I cannot really comment on the poor behavior of these rude bell ringers. I simply have to smile at them and help them. Every now I and then I will politely let them know that I heard the bell the first time, but that is only when the behavior is very much out of order. Otherwise I just breathe deeply and plaster at least a half-smile on my face and ask them what it is I can help them with. I know the bell is necessary, but how I wish there was another way. I am always thankful for those customers who are so reticent to ring the bell and apologize profusely for doing so. They are good customers. I wish they would rub off on the others who so desperately need something to rub off on them. Oh, well. I'll quit ranting now.