Some of my customers I dearly love, some I’d dearly love to kill.

This morning, I waited on a few I love.

First thing was Hugh Manis, whom I’ve waited on for years. I attended his church (Seymour First Baptist) for awhile, & sat with him & his wife nearly every time.

When you get married, generally if it’s a Christian ceremony, the preacher will ask you to hold the couple accountable. The union of two people coming together is a Holy bond & to keep them in your prayers for a strong, healthy marriage. The people gathered include some of the ones who love you best & dearest, so it’s easy for them to make that promise. But I have found that it’s some of my older male customers that hold me accountable, that they ask how my husband’s doing, or, more commonly, “Are you still married?” When I answer to the affirmative, it’s usually followed by, “He’s a good man.”

I don’t argue with that statement.

Anyway, I’m helping Mr. Manis carry out his purchases this morning (he walks on a cane, so I help him if his son doesn’t accompany him) & he asks me, “Where are you & your husband going to church now?”

Now, Johnny & I never attended FBS together. I went alone. But he’s been on me to come back for some time.

No sense in being embarrassed. “We’re not attending anywhere. We just fell out of the habit.”

“We got plenty of room,” he tells me with a smile.

“Yes, I remember. But Johnny likes little bitty churches.” (I honestly prefer a smaller congregation, to where you don’t get lost in the scheduling, but would go anywhere I felt welcome. Honestly, we’re enjoying the lazy life.) 

We stepped outside. “Well, you need to make sure you have a home church when the babies start coming,” he reminded me gently.

“Yes, sir, but there’s not gonna be any babies. We still need to go. If we ever got started back, we’d be better off.”

He started telling me about his wife being back in the hospital. We chatted for a minute by his old Ford. He is one of the ones I love, & I’m not sure how much longer I’ll get to love him.

Then I was waiting on David Sarten, aka “Nugget” for his nuggets of wisdom, when I realized my shirt was on inside out. Looks like I need someone to hold me accountable for what I put on as much as I need steered back into church.