Waiting for promises kept

1st Writes Photo

Over the years, Helen had dusted the shelves for her Great-Aunt Elspeth.  At first Helen could reach only the bottom shelf, and Aunt Elspeth had praised her. 

“Oh, what a magnificent job you have done!  Someday,” Aunt Elspeth had pointed to the very top shelf, “you will reach that shelf!  I will let you choose the bottle you love the most!”

Each time Helen polished and cleaned the shelves, she gazed at the bottles so far out of her reach.  ‘Someday…’  One time Helen would favor the green bottle, but the next time she dusted, she desired the pink bottle.

Years stacked up in numbers as Helen grew and she could dust the next shelf, and then the next.  Which one would she choose?  The blue?  The violet?  So lovely, so hard to decide.

When Helen could just almost reach that last shelf, Aunt Elspeth dropped dead right in front of her. 

 By this time, Helen was now grown as much as she ever would; she was a mother with a small child.  As she closed the eyes of her now-deceased aunt, Helen smiled gently.

Then Helen found a sturdy stool and a box.  She stepped onto the stool and stood level with the shelf.  Gazing fondly at each bottle, Helen sighed.  

Reaching tentatively, Helen spoke, “One?  Hell, I’m going to take them all!” 


This is a repost from 2014. It came from the photo prompt above.

...But I have promises to keep...

To keep or not to keep

Promises.  How many promises do you make?  How many do you keep?

Without doubt or hesitation, I know that God keeps His Promises.  Mercy and love, impartial judgment and grace, integrity and unchanging character, compassion to the weak crushed by life, forgiveness and salvation...endless list.

In many blog posts, one will express pain and suffering or depression over losses, or heartbreak.  In the comment section, so many sincere followers give comfort and sympathy.  And then, there is "I'll be praying for you" somewhere in the comments, or "Prayers and blessings".  

But, I wonder are these phrases are actually followed?  Once the words are written and the cursor goes to publish, will these word be acted upon?

This is not a criticism, for I write these words myself, but simply a question.

Robert Frost wrote in "Stopping by the Woods on a Snowy Evening" this last quatrain, 

The woods are lovely, dark and deep,

But I have promises to keep,

And miles to go before I sleep,

And miles to go before I sleep.

But I have promises to keep.  Any type of promise?  Yes, it would seem so.  A promise to bring a salad to a potluck is an easy promise--CostCo.  A promise to meet at 2:00 can vary from 1:55 to 2:05 (we are obsessive about this.) is still an easy promise to keep for most people. My in-laws are lax on this.

But to say "I'll be praying for you" is vague.  Perhaps this sentence should be followed by "I promise". This is one promise that requires commitment and sincerity. It needs to be kept. 

Can you do this?  Do you keep your promises? Why, or why not?