Posted by Steven Benjamin on June 12, 2009, 10:18 pm
Shabbat Shalom. The Shofar sounded nearly an Hour ago here in N.C.
Approx 9:50 p.m.
It's been a really long week. Last Sabbath, while on the phone with another from this board as I sat outside on a swing in my front yard there were several gunshots going off, followed by screams and yelling. You hear alot of gunshots in here. The rumor was someone was killed. Not so, I found later, still, someone was indeed shot. And police gave chase to 2 young males, I refrain from calling them "men,"
and caught them. They came from another city in N.C. and shot 2 people that night, and the newspaper said they told the police they had come to Fayetteville to kill 2 people and it didn't matter who. They staged 2 robberies in effort to attempt to reach thier real goal.
Sunday, while shopping I was told of the Spirit to go see my mother. I did not, I went to another store. She called while I was inside. About the same amount of time passed as would have taken to arrive at her house. I told her I was going to go by there. When I got there, she told me she had gotten a call just before calling me announcing they found my Granddad dead beside his bed here in town.
My family here is not really that close and has grown further apart over the years. About the closest thing we have to "reunions" is Funeral Services. Sad. The funeral was set for Wednesday.
Monday, during broad daylight, after just hearing that someone was indeed shot when those shots rang out last Friday night, I mean less than an hour later while sitting at this very keyboard...I heard a loud "tha dump DUMP!" on the other side of my wall in a Duplex I share with a Young man whose apartment had nearly been broken into last week, Thursday. They didn't get in, but they destroyed the door, well, they didn't get in Thursday. The landlord had come by earlier Monday and put up a new door.
Anyway, I hear the noise, and it sounds odd... so I go outside and sure enough my neighbors car is gone. It was still daylight and I started around the side of his side of the duplex then about 20 feet from the back of the house I saw glass fly and heard them tearing out the window, it sounded like frame and all. They knew I was home, and they still went in, they Knew I was outside. I quickly and quietly made it back around front calling 911. The cops came, and the thieves it seemed dropped a gun in side the house. Good thing I did not try to confront them. I really hate living in this neighborhood.
IT is a very volatile place. The ordeal though my neighbor lost a 42 in flat panel TV, left me feeling violated.
Wednesday, The funeral went without incident. A good thing. Here in the south, it is a custom to pull off the road and/or Stop your vehicle, turning on your headlights and waiting until the entire Funeral Procession passes if you are driving down the road and come upon a Funeral Procession.
It's a different experience to see such from inside the Procession. Both experiences make you think about life and death, and the custom is one of respect to the survivors of the departed. But seeing those cars, one here, one there, sometimes two or three, just stopped, sitting there waiting for us to pass, it kinda gives the illusion that TIME STOPS, it freezes a moment of time upon your conscious.
Thats 3 in the last year. Someone said My Grandad did not look like himself as it was an open casket. I made the reply that "I Have NEVER SEEN ANYONE IN a casket who looked like themselves." And I haven't. I heard David Icke giving the eulogy for his mother note as he pointed to the open casket, and then to a photograph, "That is not my mother in that Casket. There is more life in that photo, than in that casket. Look at that photo, the energy, the lifeforce...THAT"s MY MOTHER. The body in that casket is merely the vehicle which my Mother navigated through this world with, but she is not there, she is already gone."
I like that. It was a very long procession, alot of people there. Of my 19 brothers and Sisters, I buried one of my older step brothers, performing the graveside service as a young Baptist preacher. I personally do not think a funeral is the appropriate place for a SERMON. I get the evangelistic responsiblity preachers feel, and I get the use of scripture to comfort others. But what I mean is LONGWINDED, displays which show off the oratory prowess (or lack thereof) of whomever is giving the service.
Such occaisons should be short, sweet, and to the point. The only thing that irks me more is those people who preach sermons with thier eyes closed and call it "PRAYER." What a crock. Combine the two together and you have me at my Granddads funeral frustrated and angry with this stranger who just doesn't get human nature at all.
My family, just two generations ago were poor white sharecroppers. A generation ago...White Trash. We as a whole are not very well mannered to certain proper etiquette and funerals in the past have been quite lively. Just a month or two ago we buried a baby, and one grandmother showed her butt upsetting the mother who lost the child as she REMOVED flowers from the top of a baby's casket because THEY WERE NOT THE FLOWERS SHE ORDERED! The same flowers she stated ahead of time were going home with her and not to be placed upon the grave.
I have never liked funerals. I don't suppose any do. When I preached my brothers funeral, I followed the counsel given by a former pastor. He had told me early on that a Funeral is the most important type of message one can give, because you only have five minutes at the most.
He told me such should be kept very short. I think he was very right about that. That preacher at my Grandads funeral didn't know any of us prior to that event, and as he went on and on for about 20 minutes graveside, he tried to write himself into our family history. He didn't know my granddad, he didn't know me, he didn't know anyone there that I know of more than a couple of days or so. I don't such occasions are proper to give long discourses on the life of a stranger, I think it best to simply offer a passage of comfort.
At the babys funeral, I felt the preacher there, also not knowing the family, conducted himself prudently. He offered an appropriate passage of King David when he lost a child.
Sorry if I seem to be venting. Like I said...Long Week.
And on positive notes...I made this video last week, some of you might enjoy seeing my progress..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rz7Kwinlgyo
And in the last week or so I have gained much more equipment from the list of things I stated last year I felt I would need to acquire if possible on this end prior to going to Waco.
A second punching bag gym, and Mook Yan Jong.
I got a job at Taco Bell which will help get the cash I need. I may buy the camper in about 10 days if my check is large enough. Then I will start gearing up. I may sell some stuff to shorten the time for departure as I am eager to get out of here as much as I am to arrive in Texas. Still, Clive has counseled me to "take it in steps" and I am trying to do that as well.
I developed an exit strategy a couple weeks back and am working it as I can. I basically just have to get a Reese hitch for the car, a lighting kit, and get the camper road ready and insured. Then the rest is all about gas money and loading up.
I have a doublewide in Texas that is mine for the asking, and I have been seriously thinking of asking. It's a hundred miles from Waco.
Close enough I can make it up each Sabbath, far enough that I wouldn't really want to stay there permantently, but ready as of now at my disposal, just by showing up. It needs some work, and it can't be moved, but it is close to family who will help me, and I am most positive I can obtain work in the area within a couple weeks of arriving.
But I guess we will see what happens. Pretty much though, My inet access I think will decrease a bit for a couple months as I will not have electricity at first, but that's ok, I am getting a camper, so I'll camp! But I have a laptop and I should still be able to get online a few times a week as many restaraunts and coffe houses offer free Wi-Fi. It just wont be as convenient, but I will be in Texas, and It will be a start.
I was fitted for my definitive leg last week and I test the cone Monday morning, and then pick it up about the end of next week! That is such good news.
I hope the rest of you paying attention had a good week. I had to shave my beard off to go to work at Taco Bell, kinda liked that beard. Made me look my age. Shaven, I look much younger, always have.
I realize this Sabbath Greeting my seem a bit o/t from past greetings, but I am out of sorts a bit this week on some levels, but on others, well, things are progressing as I had hoped they should.
To all coming here, seeking the truth of JAH' and his righteousness, Happy Sabbath.
Shalom,
-Steven Benjamin
This greeting comes a bit late tonight. I have been waiting for this to upload...
Happy Sabbath
-Benjamin
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