Tuesday, March 05, 2013

Dr. Kilmer's Swamp Root Kidney Remedy

On a road trip without Duane last weekend, i stopped at a few antique stores along the way to pass the time, and found the greatest little bottle.  Engraved in the glass:  Dr. Kilmer's Swamp Root Kidney Remedy.


So i bought it, took it home, and looked it up.

Dr. Kilmer was the most famous purveyor of quack medicine in the 1890’s. And his legacy lives on, in this little bottle. It got me to thinking, what will people remember about me and what is important to me?

What legacy am I leaving? Are we leaving? I posed that question to my preschool coordinators at our weekly staff meeting and asked them what scripture comes to mind.

• 3 John 4. I have no greater joy than to know my children walk in the truth

• Psalm 78:4 We will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord

• Proverbs 22:6 Train up a child.  Prepare them to trust God, teach them of His faithfulness

• Isaiah 63:7 I will recount the steadfast love of the Lord

Our conversation continued on towards speaking the name of Jesus in your home, and how important that is, and how it lingers in the hearts of your children long after you’re done. Which brought me to a story I had already been thinking about on my road trip and wanted to share.

We got a phone call one October morning at 6 a.m.  MY mom asked to speak to Duane instead of me, and told him my dad had a massive heart attack and the doctors said we needed to fly to Memphis asap. I was 7 months pregnant with Jeffrey, our girls were 5 and 7, and that wasn’t a phone call any of us were expecting. We didn’t have 2 thin dimes to rub together at the time, but the 4 of us hopped a plane, and flew to Memphis. Long story short and as love would have it, my Dad was given more time. Duane flew home with Kari, our second grader after a few days, but Ashley, our kindergartner, stayed with me another week until we thought perhaps she should go home and get back to school, too. I neede to stay longer and help mom, though.

I might as well have buckled my heart into that airplane seat, because it was like ripping mine out to send my five year old home alone on an airplane. Ashley was excited and bouncy, but I leaned down and held her freckled little face in my hands and said, “Ashley, I love you. Dad will be waiting for you in Houston. If you get scared, just close your eyes and whisper to yourself, Jesus – Jesus”.

Fast forward 26 years to this Christmas.  My 85 year old mom was with us and we were drawing questions out of the question jar to "stimulate conversation."  The question, “What was the hardest thing you’ve ever done?” Mom quickly answered, "The hardest thing I’ve ever done was sending Ashley home by herself on that airplane after Dad’s heart attack."  Ashley looked me dead in the eye, 26 years later and without a moment's hesitation said, “and I still remember exactly what you said to me – "If you get scared, just close your eyes and whisper to yourself, Jesus – Jesus – Jesus.”

There’s power in the name of Jesus.
Speak it in your home, speak it to your children. Leave a legacy. "We will tell the next generation the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord…His power, and the wonders he has done."