June 2020

Page 20

Gò0dNews for Everyone

Shaping The Life Of A Child by Jimmy Bryant

I

n the 1940s, Northeast Mississippi provided a variety of

“War Games” with corn cobs and sweet gum balls could

real characters. Farmers, factory workers, and even some

have never taught me. I learned something about character,

non-workers. Women who cooked three meals a day,

honesty, hard work, kindness, and integrity. These people

usually from scratch, worked alongside their husbands or in

showed me a few things about living in the real world at

factories, kept the house as neat as a pin, and made it look

that time.

easy. Men who were hunters, fishermen, sawmillers, factory

I was fortunate to grow up in a time of trust, safety,

workers, and many odd ones with no desire to do such

concern, and love for those who do not belong to you. Mr.

trivial things as hunt, fish, or work.

Tom was never too busy to stop what he was doing and

The characters who shaped my life were men and women like Tom Smith, a Jake-leg carpenter (which is about like a shade-tree mechanic), who was glad for an inquisitive little boy to follow him around. He had a cotton field across a gravel road from where I lived, and he always let me hold the reins of his mules while he adjusted the straps and harnesses. He never seemed to tire of giving answers to an inquisitive little boy. Then, there was Mr. Clarence, who let me ride with him in the truck, delivering lumber from the sawmill to various customers. He wasn’t much bigger than a straw, but he was married to a woman who made up for it. (If she had been two inches taller, she would have been round.) They had no children but seemed to love me and loved having

share a bit of wisdom or answer the questions of a little boy.

me around. And best of all, there was Mrs. Angelina Stovall,

Mrs. Angelina treated that little boy like he was her own,

who invited me to eat a formal lunch with her occasionally.

and she wanted him to grow up infused with her influence

She was very old, very elegant, and seemed to enjoy having

in his life.

a little boy eat with her from time to time. She set the table

Jesus Himself said, “suffer little children…to come unto

with cloth napkins and real silverware. Over time, she

me…” (Matthew 19:14). I wonder if there is not a little boy

taught a little towheaded kid the proper use of each item on

or girl in your community who you could demonstrate that

the table, from knives to napkins.

kind of love and acceptance to and take a little time to show

From the time I was about 10 and for the next four or

some interest in?

than with playmates my own age. I did not know what you called it at the time, but I learned some things from these people that playing “Cowboys and Indians” or playing

20 // June 2020

About The Author

five years, I found myself spending more time with them Jimmy Bryant and his wife of almost 60 years reside in Summerville, GA. He is interim pastor at Pleasant Grove Baptist Church in the Gore Community. He has authored a book, “Confessions of a Baptist Minister,” available at Amazon.com.


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