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| Cover image from the November 21, 1969, issue of LIFE JOHNNY CASH WROTE A FAMOUS SONG ABOUT A BOY NAMED SUE |
TODAY THE WORD is WORTHY. I thought I would share a story about a man named Worthy. No one really knew how his name came about but it was known his Mother had been the one who had named him. He had some ribbing from his school mates when he was small and his name was a sore subject. She could have named him Sam, John, Bill or Bob but why Worthy. He was a good student but he wasn’t much of an athlete. He was never picked for a team or at least he was the last one picked if the coach made the teams pick until no one was left. Worthy tried to think of a shorter name to use as Worthy was getting on his last nerve. Every time his Mom would hear him complain about his name, she would smile and wouldn’t say a word. Somehow, Worthy made it through school and graduated. He found a pretty little girlfriend and she even said his name differently. He knew he loved her immediately. She didn’t make fun of his name and seemed to be attracted to him and he certainly was attracted to her. They dated through the college years and married right after their graduation. When Worthy’s Mother was sitting during the commencement ceremony and they called Worthy’s name out, she smiled a little wider as if she knew something no one else did. At the wedding ceremony, when they asked Worthy the usual question, “Do you Worthy Story take…?”, his Mother glowed with pride and Worthy saw the sweetest expression come over his Mother’s face.
Years would pass, and Worthy and his lovely bride prospered and had 3 sons, Sam, John and Bill. All of the sons were adorably cute and Worthy would smile at their names knowing they would never go through the same ordeal he had suffered as a young boy. He would never put his sons through the same ordeal his Mother had put him through. As years went on, Worthy’s Mother became ill, and it was soon evident, she would not last very long. Worthy, as it came closer to her departure, felt he had to ask his Mother why she had named him Worthy Story when she could have named him a simpler name. As his Mother was laboring with her breathing, she said Worthy, don’t you know? Your Dad was a soldier who had to go to war right after I found out I was pregnant with you. When you were born, I had to notify your Dad by letter of your birth. I had planned on naming you Sam, or Bob, but when your Dad’s reply came and it said, “this letter makes every bullet passing my head worthy! I now know what I have to come home to when this war is over. Now that is a Worthy Story if she had ever heard one and that is why your name is Worthy because your Dad was killed before he could come home. There is something to be said about a name and definitely when you hear a story worth reading.
DAILY FEATURED BIBLE VERSE:
Philippians 4:8
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.
(c) copyright 2013 Arline Lott Miller. The material here copyrighted, use only by permission.
