The wealthy nobody’s everybody knew Copyright 2012

Inspirational Message # 1B Week of August 5, 2012 by Alfred Harrell

The wealthy nobody’s everybody knew Copyright 2012
Mr. Pete, I will call him, lived in a small house that resembled an oversized storage shed more than any place we would call a home. According neighborhood rumor which really was closer to neighborhood gossip, Mr. Pete was a little off his rocker; rich folk if they lived like him that is Mr. Pete would be called eccentric.

Older people on the block vaguely remembered a well-dressed lady use to visit him by means of a fine car, a Cadillac they think, many years ago that would arrive at his house late in the evening and was gone before the rising of the sun the next day. After each visit whichever family had been struggling in some way in the neighbor would find a box at their back door with money, some non-perishable food or just a gift card with a note attached to the box saying “tell no one the size of your gift, just give to someone as you have received- freely”.

The point is no one ever really knew Mr. Pete or the lady until Mr. Pete died and the announcement of his death in the local newspaper drew dignitaries from across the state to this little neighborhood of poor and middle class people located in a town few people had ever heard of and only a few tourist ever visited because of it historical significance as one of oldest towns in the state.

Nobody had taken the time to get to know the wealthy nobody’s everybody knew. Mr. Pete, born Peter Black and sister Beatrice Black, the lady who visited him monthly were last living relatives of Thomas and Bernice Black who had amassed a small fortune during the short lived gold rush of the Appalachians.

Peter after his parents death wanted to carry on a family tradition only on a grander scale than what his parents had done for his sister and him which was to give as they had received but only with a twist which was a note attached to the gift that read “tell no one the size of your gift, just give to someone as you have received, freely”. Beatrice assisted him in this by visiting him with boxes filled with what he believed some people needed to make their life a little easier.

Upon what was his belief as too what was needed by some people based, quite simply upon the things he observed from a distance during his evening walks through his neighborhood, sometimes he guessed right, sometimes he didn’t, all that truly mattered was that he added a little joy to some else life like his parents had done his and Beatrice. So it was with the wealthy nobody’s everybody knew.

So what’s the moral of this story: even if you and I are not wealthy financially, we are very wealthy if we freely share with other what we do have and in a loose application be as the person of Psalms 112:1-9 which states, “1 Praise the LORD. Blessed is the man who fears the LORD, who finds great delight in his commands. 2 His children will be mighty in the land; the generation of the upright will be blessed. 3 Wealth and riches are in his house, and his righteousness endures forever. 4 Even in darkness light dawns for the upright, for the gracious and compassionate and righteous man. 5 Good will come to him who is generous and lends freely, who conducts his affairs with justice. 6 Surely he will never be shaken; a righteous man will be remembered forever. 7 He will have no fear of bad news; his heart is steadfast, trusting in the LORD. 8 His heart is secure, he will have no fear; in the end he will look in triumph on his foes. 9 He has scattered abroad his gifts to the poor, his righteousness endures forever; his horn will be lifted high in honor.”

***The characters of this are fictional
Scriptures used in this article are from the (NIV) New International Version as used on http://www.biblestudytools.com/

Grateful

On this national day of thanks, I am truly grateful for the love of my sons, the friendship of their mother, the love of my oldest nieces who honor me with their words, my special friend and her family who has accepted me as one of their own, the love and mercy GOD has shown which has made the aforementioned possible. As this day progresses please pause to remember that the choice to make a difference for the good in someone else's life is ours and ours alone.

Open Your Eyes and Listen is a tribute and jouney of multiple voices

Open Your Eyes and Listen is a tribute and jouney of multiple voices The section Family highlights some of the joys and sorrows of my life as a Harrell man and the power love, patience and determination to push forward knowing life is filled with more beauty than ugliness. For the example the poem The Outer Limits pays tribute our family andthe African-American family and the poem Black Queen honors African-American women I've known and the spirit they manifest in a country and society than often under values thier worth.


The section Spirituality delves into issues of faith that we sometimes struggle with by means of the poem Live In Fear...Die In Silence and the love GOD has for us all is highlighted in the poem You Cared About Me as a collaboration with Tangil Smith.

Finally the last section Social Issues closes out with the title poem Open Your Eyes and Listen written about socially disturbing events that I observed in downtown Greensboro but happens in small towns and cities around the world, problems truly that deserving of our concern as human being.

Also in this the Purple edition is meditative page.

This is truly a book that speaks in multiple many of whom are tagged below either because I've been in one of their workshops, converse with and grown in wisdom because of our conversations or I been honored by their friendship.

Alfred Harrell, Author Open Your Eyes and Listen Copyright 2009