Proverbs 27:9
"Perfume and incense bring joy to the heart, and the pleasantness of one's friend springs from his earnest counsel."
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CA McKinney sits at her home in Longview.
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Last spring, I received a contest brochure from a local writers' group. "I'm entering two short stories and an article," I bragged to my friend Carol, a fellow writer. Starry-eyed, I began to write. Two weeks later, my starry eyes turned to mud puddles. My husband and I found my uncle dead in his bed. Since he had no wife or children, I made his funeral arrangements. After his burial, I struggled to complete my entries.
Weeks later, after several computer glitches and many rewrites, I finished my first story. I had five days to perfect the other two. I sat at my desk staring at the inscribed words on an angel-embossed, metal plaque, a birthday gift from my friend, Rena. It read, "True friends are like angels who lift us to our feet when our own wings have trouble remembering how to fly." Wads of paper laid scattered at my feet. If anyone needed help remembering how to fly, I did.
Wings bruised and battered, I e-mailed Carol. I knew she would understand and be sympathetic; however, she fired back, "Don't e-mail me back ... until you get it done and in the mail. Good luck. ... I know you will win." Her stern response and confidence in my ability to get the job done jolted me to action. I completed those entries and mailed them four days later.
I'm so grateful for the blessing of dear friends who challenge me when dreams seem too big to achieve.
- CA McKinney (Longview, Texas)
