Daily Jewel

by Pastor carnell, McAlester, OK

“A Spiritual Gully-Washer”
“When the storm is over, there’s nothing left of the wicked, good people, firm on their rock foundation, aren’t even fazed.” – Proverbs 10:25 (MSG)

Yesterday, some may have been introduced to some real Country/Southern terminology. Since we are on this crazy-phrase kick, I thought I would add a few of my favorites. Some will be familiar to most but there may be some that are new to others…they definitely will make you smile…here they are: All y'all: Plural of “y’all.” “All y’all is invited to the hoe-down Saturday night.”
Cattywampus: Off-center or sideways. “That storm last night knocked our trailer clean cattywampus…sure made it hard to get some shut eye.” Darn tootin’: For sure! “Darn tootin’ I’m hungry!”
Fixin’: To get ready. “We’re fixin’ to go to Church Pa…y’all comin’?”
Gully-washer: A quick and powerful storm producing possible flash floods or running water. “Some storm last night! A real gully-washer weren’t it?”
Hankering: To desire…crave. “Sure been hankering for some fried okra.”
Hunkey Dorey: To be okay with. “If you want to go that’s hunkey dorey with me.”
Nearabout: To come close to. “I nearabout got bit by that big ole gator!”
Scarce as Hen’s teeth: Very rare, unusual. “A hound dog like that is scarce as hen’s teeth. He’s a good ‘un.” That dog don’t hunt: A poor argument. Not a valid point. “Don’t give me that line ‘cause that dog don’t hunt no more!”
Uppity: Conceited, brash. “Don’t get uppity with me young man! I’ll put y’all in your place darn tootin’.”
Varmint: A pest, or an unwanted animal. “Get that varmint out of the house.” If Solomon had been from the south, the verse being high-lighted today might sound a bit like this: “When a gully-washer comes there’ll be some varmints swept away…darn tootin.’” Kind of fun to think differently from time-to-time isn’t it? Let’s go back to Jesus’ words from Matthew, chapter seven for a few minutes. There is a clue here that gives strength to what Solomon is saying:
“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.” – Matthew 7:24-27

Jesus does not identify who the foolish person is…but I think we have a pretty good idea. It is anyone who had no intention of believing in or following the Will of God. As such, the foundation of their life is shaky at best and when the storms (of life) come (a good gully-washer) they get swept in the flood waters and carried away...thus further eroding their spirit creating bitterness, anger, and a host of other unspiritual things.
Let’s take a slightly different approach to this. A “flash-flood” occurs when a lot of rain falls quickly and the waters literally have to have somewhere to go. Often it is where there is a clear path, although there will be the possibility of resistance. If there are objects in the path of the flash-flood (a gully-washer for those in the South) that are “loose,” or not grounded…they will be swept away with and by the flood. A loose item could be a car, lawn furniture, and unfortunately, human beings. “Loose” in the spiritual sense could be a reference to those with few (if any) morals or beliefs. A loose person has no moral foundation and as such are easily caught into soul-destructive activities. They have nothing to turn to or cling to that can stand the current.
Solomon’s recommendation…stay grounded in the Word! Cling to the foundations that are firm and should those storms come (and they will), the fear of being swept in them will lessen to the point where nothing will move you. They will not faze you or unnerve you.
So listen up y’all, there’s a storm fixin’ to brew, and that uppity evil varmint, the devil, he’s a lookin’ to knock you clean cattywampus, a real down-right gully-washer he’s hankerin’ to create. But Jesus done licked that devil good—so all y’all listen up good now and you tell that ole varmint to not count his chickens before they’re hatched and to skedaddle back to the pit where he belongs! Darn tootin’!!
Pastor J. T. Carnell.