Salt Of The Earth

Over the course of the last couple of weeks, my bride and I have spent some time back up in the country. We've been back to the little town her family calls home. The purpose of the trip was bittersweet.
Her mother left this old world with all it's sickness and pain to go to her REAL home, where there are no more sad farewells or tear dimmed eyes. Even in the death of a loved one, if we'll only look, we can see the tender mercies of a loving Father. And it becomes easier, somehow, if we can simply remember that not only was she a loving mother to her children, she was also the daughter of The Living God, who loved her more than we can even imagine.
As is usually the case when families get together, there was time spent listening to old stories of childhood long past and life on the farm. Some funny; some poignant, but all interesting.
As I sat and listened to my mother-in-law's four brothers talk, I was struck by a reality that became more evident by the minute.
All my life, I'd heard some men referred to as being "salt of the earth" type of men. The more I sat there and listened, the more I realized that these men were precisely that... salt of the earth. Rock solid in their character; men of integrity, and hard working men... real men. Men, the likes of whom are rare and scarce in the world today. And as I sat there among them, I was duly impressed by their genuine humility and their wisdom. I couldn't really explain it, but I just wanted to be with them.
Stories were told, not in some shallow attempt to pass the time or to entertain, but in a matter of fact way that seemed altogether necessary.
They would usually begin with one man looking at his three brothers and say, "Do you remember... " and then the story would unfold, and each of the brothers would in some manner, affirm the fact that they DID remember. And it seemed as if each story would trigger a memory in one of the other brothers of another story that needed to be shared.
They could recall funny stories that happened as they rode the school bus from the farm to school... and yes, they could even remember the bus, including what year model and make it was. There was laughter and a fondness in the remembrances they shared. But the one single thing that seemed to bind their hearts together, at least for this moment, was their sister, my wife's mom. And that seemed fitting and right.
If we were to get right down to it, my mother-in-law treated me more like a son than a son-in-law, and I had known her and loved her like a mother for almost thirty years. But listening to her brothers talk, I came to know her, and yes, love her even more. Because it came to mind that she, too, was cut from the same cloth as these men. She too, was born to and raised by the same family as these men. She was from the same blood line as these "salt of the earth" men, and I gained even more respect for her through them.
I can't help but think about things that really matter... I mean REALLY matter. Things like destiny and legacy. God ordains our destiny in this life. Our plight is not to determine what our destiny shall be... our job is to DISCOVER what our God ordained destiny is, and live our lives in such a way as to fulfill it.
Our legacy is what remains after this life is over. Our legacy is what we leave our children. Our legacy is determined largely by how successfully we realize and walk in our destiny. After this past couple of weeks, I can say without any doubt, that the legacy of the Hudson family is a strong one... a good one... and one to be admired.
I am blessed to know that my bride is also cut from the same cloth. She too, is from the same blood line. Being a "salt of the earth" type of woman is in her genes.
I knew that... I knew that all along... but this last two weeks sure has brought that to the forefront of my understanding. And thanks to some of her family members, they made it even more obvious to me.
Salt of the earth may not sound all that flattering to some folks, but as far as I'm concerned, that's about as good as it gets... but then Hey... It's Just A Thought.