ODE TO AUNT NANCE (REVISED)

I WOULD LIKE TO TAKE A SEC

TO SAY TO MY SWEET AUNT NANCE,

THAT IT FELT SO GOOD

TO TALK TO ANOTHER GROWN WOMAN,

ONE THAT UNDERSTANDS,

AND BELIEVES THAT GOD HAS A PERFECT PLAN;

HE EMPATHIZES WITH WHATEVER OUR PAINS.

I HAVE RECENTLY BEEN PRAYING

FOR A FRIEND

IN

ANOTHER CHRISTIAN WOMAN
SUCH AS AUNT NANCE

SHE IS NOT AFRAID

TO CONFESS TO THE RIGHT OTHERS

HER OWN MISTAKES.

SHE EVEN HAS THE CHUTZPA

TO LAUGH AT HERSELF,

AND
TO MAKE IT EVEN BETTER,
SHE LAUGHS AT MY SILLY JOKES.
IF YOU HAVEN'T LEARNED TO LAUGH BY THIS AGE
AND AT WHATEVER LIT ARROW THE EVIL AND SNEAKY ONE
MAY
THROW YOUR WAY,
THEN I WOULD SUGGEST
THAT YOU FALL TO YOUR KNOWS
IN PRAYER.

WHEN MY SWEET AUNT NANCE FIRST MARRIED

MY FAVORITE UNCLE,

I WAS UNDER THE IMPRESSION

THAT I WASN'T HER FIRST CHOICE AS A NIECE.

AND I KNEW I HAD OFFENDED THIS SWEET WOMAN,
SO MY ANSWER TO THIS BLUNDER
WAS TO TRY IN VAIN
TO STAY AS FAR AWAY AS I POSSIBLY COULD,
WHICH WASN'T THAT HARD, CONSIDERING THE SIZE OF OUR FAMILY, AND THAT I HAD BEEN PRACTICING ALL OF MY LIFE TO BECOME INVISIBLE,
AND I THINK BY THAT TIME,
I HAD PERFECTED THIS ART.

THIS OBVIOUSLY KEPT ME FROM TRYING
TO TAKE THE TIME TO GET TO KNOW HER.

AND, WHAT CAN I SAY?

I WAS A MALADROIT AND AWKWARD SEVENTEEN.

BUT NOW THAT WE'VE BOTH BEEN THROUGH
THE CLEANSING FIRE,

WITH OUR LORD JESUS ALWAYS BY OUR SIDE,

SPEAKING FOR HER,
I KNOW WITHOUT A DOUBT
THAT WE BOTH STILL TRUST IN GOD'S ABOUNDING LOVE.

WE GIVE ALL OF THE GLORY

TO HIM WHO IS TELLING THIS STORY.

AND SHE WAS SO NICE,

I DIDN'T THINK TWICE

OF SPILLING MY GUTS OUT TO HER.

THE BEST THING OF ALL,

IS THAT I THINK I HAVE BEEN BLESSED

TO BE SENT ANOTHER SISTER.

AND NONE OF THIS COULD HAVE EVER HAPPENED WITHOUT OUR LORD.
HE IS THE CREATOR OF THE WORLD.
I HOPE THIS DOESN'T SCARE HER,
BUT NOW WE SHALL BE
TOGETHER FOR ALL OF ETERNITY,
AND I PRAY THAT I DON'T BLOW THIS SOMEHOW.
ISN'T JESUS AMAZING?