TODAY THE WORDS ARE WHO IS THAT ANYWAY

TODAY THE WORDS are WHO IS THAT ANYWAY? Most of us have been in a position of the focus of this message. We are standing in a line; we are at a sporting event; we are walking around in a department store or at a wedding or funeral and it happens……”Hi Arline, it has been a while.”……and I am looking at this person like a deer in the headlight and I don’t have a clue who is this person. I am flustered; I am embarrassed since this person seems to be my best friend. I try to use small talk to see if I can catch a tone in their voice as if I have the skills of voice recognition. My mind is scrambling, “Who is this person anyway?” I can tell by their mannerisms and smiles, they know me. It is very uncomfortable until they say the right clue and it comes flooding back to me. Oh yes, this was my neighbor when we were about 5 or 6 years old and it has only been about 60 years. I let my mind off the hook and then I chuckle to myself; who told them who I was before they came over. 

My husband has the best trick when this occurs when we are together. He has that same look but he smiles as if he has a perfect memory. His response is, “By the way, have you met my wife Arline, introduce yourselves.” Clever, right? This brings a smile too as I think, “What does he do when I am not there?” He is pretty quick on his feet so I am sure he handles it better than me.

I think fast, but it is the idea I could forget someone who apparently meant a lot to me at one time. But let’s get real; we don’t forget them easily; it is life’s changes which make us play the guessing game. We change our looks; we change our weight; some start wearing glasses; we change our hair color and styles; and some of us have changed spouses. What we seem to not change is our personality. At a class reunion I noticed the guys who were the “class cut ups” were still cracking jokes; the cheerleaders were still cheering us on; and the class presidents were still being politically correct. 

Now for the deeper thought…….Looks can change; circumstances can change; we may act differently due to age or changes in our lives. Our personalities are more consistent and if we have a positive attitude, we usually stay positive. If we are negative and woe is me; we usually will find the negative in anything we encounter. But our souls are the one thing which is the same throughout our lives. We will be one who serves Our Maker or we will be one who resists Our God. What I hope is I never hear God say at the end of my life, “Who is that, anyway?” May we Live Life; may we Love Life; and May we Live Life to the fullest by acquainting our soul with God.