Wisdom Keeps on Giving

By Carolyn Harrell

Sometimes when you want to share so much, most of the sharing goes on while lying awake in the middle of the night and is only remembered in pieces when morning comes, and is only heard by God, Jesus, and Spirit.  That’s what has been going on about Wyndham’s Wisdom for many months with me.  This is to share  some bits and pieces that I’m thinking about this morning…written randomly.

If Wyndham knows about it, it can be worked on, prayed about, fixed.  That has been for over a quarter of a century what Bob and I always felt concerning church matters. I have seen Wyndham and Jeanie’s influence for healing and calming and leading bear this out and am so grateful.

Wyndham is a Biblical illustration of the good men do will live after them.  This is encouraging not only for the churches, but also for now retired formerly very active people like me. I want my words and actions to matter positively. Wyndham’s do. I hope my work with students also lives on. Memories are motivators.

Jeanie and Wyndham always go together as a name…an entity. As Jeanie’s sister I would think I’d have her in a special compartment, and I have known her longer and better, of course, but Wyndham is such a part of her there’s no other way to think or imagine.  I know the creativity and determination, the humor and emotion…and wisdom of Jeanie’s life and writing, but I can only imagine how much Wyndham’s wisdom has infused her life and writing through the years. Actually, I don’t have to only imagine since Jeanie speaks to it often.

Perhaps it’s just me, but sometimes inspirational and Christian writing can become or seem repetitious or stale and perhaps not deep or real (even though it may be to the writers and readers).  That’s never the case for me with Jeanie and Wyndham’s work, and I have a feeling that’s not only because I’m her sister.  Even though I may not be reading about some events, stories, or memories for the first time, I always feel (and act) more determined, prayerful, hopeful in a fresh way when I read what Jeanie shares or edits into a book.  That’s amazing to me.  I read widely all kinds of genres and have many spiritual favorites from outside “our fellowship” who shake and challenge my thinking in fresh ways. Jeanie’s books and blogs and Wyndham’s Wisdom do the same thing even though at the core they are more familiar to me. That must say something about writers’ voice, but also about the truth, need, spirit… imbedded in their work.  I don’t know quite how to explain it; it’s just what it is.  Some books work; some lives work.

Jeanie and Wyndham’s family inspires and delights me making me want to be so much better as a wife, mother, gammy. I love the strength of their family…not showiness (although they are all amazing)…just decades of what it is…how it’s stored and spread as images and reminders of goodness in the back of my mind.

One of my earlier memories is our family…mom and dad, some sisters and husbands, a few (of the now many) children on vacation walking on the beach and Wyndham breaking out in song…”I’m a hard fighting soldier on the battlefield…Lord, I’m a hard fighting soldier…oh yeah…”  He just couldn’t help it…and we sang along.  I love you all so much.

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I could fill a daily blog for years with wisdom I have learned from Wyndham. However, I’ll stick with one day a week. Each Wednesday I will share wisdom gleaned, not just from me, but from our family who saw him day and night and from friends near and far whose lives he has touched.

Many of you have already told me you wish to share wisdom you learned from Wyndham. If you wish to contribute to this collection please email me at [email protected] with the subject line—Wednesday Wisdom. If you wish to receive these blogs in your inbox, feel free to sign up to follow the blog.