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In 1976, my family lived in a rural community filled with farms, cattle, and friendly people…
My father was the pastor of a small country church and we lived in the parsonage next door…
I had a best friend…
And a “cool” young teacher couple in our congregation.
They had summers off,
and worked 7 miles up the road at this camp as the program directors.
The Cliff Notes version ends up with my best friend DeDe and me working at the camp..
DeDe with campers and other responsible counselors…
me, on the coveted award that I received at the end-of-the-summer-staff banquet…
“Most Likely to be Out After Curfew”
We both returned for a second summer…
with one of us being the more desirable employee.
Lifelong friendships built on camp experiences
have been one of many benefits in being introduced to The Salvation Army.
I also acquired a husband out of the deal!
Not that particular summer…
I was 16.
I’m talking “down the road a piece.”
More on that later…
“The Most Wonderful Time of the Year” in America
gravitates toward self focus.
What I will give and receive…
which party invitations I accept or decline…
Many people undoubtedly practice charitable giving and benevolence…
especially during the holiday season.
The Salvation Army, however,
consistently lives them out.
When I did finally marry,
It was into a family with quite a legacy in this organization.
Here, you can see my father-in-law, age 8, attempting mastery on a band instrument
while a friend encourages him.
(Looks exactly like Son #5.)
This legacy is multigenerational on my husband’s side…
Clear back to the founding.
Here is my nephew, Nick…
It’s safe to say that he has mastered his horn…
It is a joy to listen to him play.
My brother-in-law, Derek…
Who is up to his eyeballs in kettles, concerts, and counting right about now…
And my sister-in-law, Nancy, (Nick’s mom, but not Derek’s wife)
who is just so darn cute in her uniform that I can hardly stand it!
I’ve learned a lot of things from the stellar people in this organization over the years…
It would take a year of posts to list them all…
but then again, we do have a new one coming up.
I have learned that people often lose their way…
but choices today don’t necessarily have to be your legacy tomorrow.
That while much of society focuses on itself…
there are just as many people focusing on serving others.
Your community, my community, most communities in our country…
Cannot fully function without the work of The Salvation Army…
On both simple and complex levels.
They care for the homeless, the needy, the addicted, the lost.
They help repair broken lives, broken dreams and broken hearts.
Their hearts are dedicated to God…
Their hands, to mankind.
Hands that help, heal, and encourage…
Hands that because of lifestyle and priorities lived,
are squeaky clean.
Can I get an AMEN! Just a funny side note, my kiddos have always known the difference between the Sal Army buckets and others, and we still don’t walk by one without putting money in. In fact I feel a little convicted with the small amount I am putting in compared to what we are spending on gifts. Time to re-evaluate priorities….
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Beautiful Teri!
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Love the picture of you father-in-law, as well as the content of this post! It’s nice to remember, amongst the chaos, how full this world is of good people. Nice to see service with a smile since that’s what serving others makes you do. Wonderful time of the year, but you’re right, we should seek opportunities to serve throughout the entire year. Thanks for the reminder!
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