By: Ali Elizabeth Turner
This gig called Life ain’t easy for anyone, no matter who they are, and it’s not supposed to be. I am sure I am not alone in whining sometimes when things aren’t going my way, and God continually has mercy on me in the form of a simple daily gesture that I have affectionately named my “garden full of Posey.” Let me tell you about the “gardener,” Romanda Posey.
I met Romanda at the office where she used to work and I deliver Athens Now. I loved her from the get-go, and it concerned me that she was often alone while working. So, I taught her about wasp spray. Digressing for a moment, if you are in a working situation where things could go sideways in a New York minute courtesy of a ne’er do well, having a can of wasp spray at the ready can be a literal lifesaver. It needs to be the “point-and-shoot” kind that has a trigger built into the top, because having to get a cap off first can cost precious seconds. It shoots about 12 feet and is better than pepper spray. If someone’s intentions toward you are to commit an “office invasion,” this will buy you time to get the heck out of Dodge and call for help.
So, I bought Romanda her own personal can of wasp spray, and would check on her to make sure she was in the habit of having it within reach. That began what has become a relationship that strengthens me powerfully. And, as I hope you’ll understand in a moment, the “point of the “Point” is that “little is much when God is in it.”
So, here is how Romanda strengthens me, and how I now have a collection of encouraging messages that I can lean on any time I need them. On weekday mornings, usually around 6:30, I will hear a familiar chime that lets me know I have a text message. When I check, and I see it’s from Romanda, I immediately open it because I know that there is an engaging, encouraging message waiting for me, and it will be full of promises just for that day. She doesn’t create them, but I am telling you, on more than one occasion they have felt like a personal greeting card from the Home Office, meaning Heaven.
More than once I have cried when I have read it and let it soak into my soul. More than once I have written back, “Girl, are you living rent free inside my head?” I always thank her, and it’s not a chore to do so. Sometimes the graphics are beautifully crafted cups of steaming coffee that show the sun peaking over the horizon. Sometimes there are lots of flowers, sunrises, cottages, puppies, sunsets; things that evoke thoughts of simpler times and their simple pleasures. Sometimes they have scriptures and prayers. Sometimes they are sassy. Sometimes there are marching orders. But always, I get to start my day way better than if she hadn’t bothered to hit “send.”
So, my dear Romanda, let this open letter to Heaven and the planet remind YOU when YOU need it that your acts of kindness toward me are more appreciated than I can say. Thank you, and I love you. And, may you NEVER have to use your can of wasp spray!
By: Ali Elizabeth Turner
