The church lady, the crazy lady you know the one…god makes all kinds

Years ago I sat in my living room visiting with Grandma when I saw someone walk by.  “Ugh! I can’t stand her I said. You know grandma one time that girl...”  “Shh” Grandma interrupted “God makes all kinds doesn’t he!”  Yeah! Grandma I guess you are right.” I said

Every town I have lived in we have had a crazy lady, a church lady, a mean old man, etc etc. You know the one who everyone talks about and has a different story for how they became what they are. When the kids go by their house they go as fast as they can, looking back at the house every step of the way. When the neighborhood kids become teenagers that is the first house to be egged or toilet papered.

In Grant 2 houses down from where I grew up we had a lady that lived down the road with her mother. She began making a tomb for her after she passed.  I remember the big hole she had dug and filled the sides with bricks when they caught her and made her give her mom a proper burial.  Mom explained that she was just really sad that her mom died and did not want to let go of her.

We had a man who lived in our town that wore a helmet everywhere and rode on a bicycle. Everyone called him Crash. I still to this day do not know his name.  He later got a truck and added a topper to it that he made out of plywood.  He added a real topper to the top of it drove it around and supposedly lived in it later. I remember going to his house type shack to take a T.V. for him to repair for us. My parents had pictures of him playing in his band in their wedding so he had to be somewhat sane at some point.  He stopped by to visit once in a while to our house and was a little off the wall. I would stare at him like he was an alien while peeking from behind my parents. When he looked at me I would step back behind them. I finally got the guts to ask him to take his helmet off once while in our drive way Out of a dare I think and he had grey shoulder length hair with big thick curls.  It was more of silver really and not that dirty.  I Do remember him wearing a polyester brown suit for most of the time I seen him.  It was more the color burnt sienna from a color crayon.  At some point He stopped by wearing a new Polyester baby blue suit and he had turned his helmet in for a cowboy hat. I heard a rumor that a lady who I began seeing around town was his wife but that was after I left the neighborhood so I never knew.  Years later which seems not so long ago someone said that he was found dead in a snow bank at his house  on the corner he had moved to with that woman. That woman was much like him and I am sure someone has a story about her like this one.

Then there is a woman that went around town putting little book marks in bibles and books everywhere in town.  She is still around spreading the word. She will stop you at any given point and try to make you pray with her to ask Jesus into your heart.  I have found myself on a sidewalk in front of a business on a few occasions saying her prayer with her.  Even though I tell her I have done it before she wants me to do it again. People stare at her and ridicule her.  They laugh at her.  I stopped to get balloons, candy and flowers to take to Megan’s school for her birthday a few weeks ago.  I have to admit that I felt somewhat uncomfortable standing in front of family dollar praying the prayer out loud with her. She caught me on the way in and I said hello to her and exchanged address’s. You see she used to baby sit me when I was very little. I think I was only 3 or 4.  Yes, I have memories that go back that far.          

I loved going to her house as she would play records with bible stories on them.  She taught me bible verses and took me to church.  The last time my parents  took me to be babysat she was upset with them for drinking as she did not think it was Christian for them to drink. My mom told her she would not be having her babysit if she could not mind her own business and that was the end of it.

So as I went inside the store and went about my shopping Betty continued speaking to me catching up and reading me verses. She gave me book marks for all the kids and even followed me when I checked out. She said” I used to baby sit missy when she was little” The cashiers gave her and I a funny look like they felt sorry for me with her bugging me as if she could not tell. She said “I’m sorry I did not mean to embarrass you.” I said “Oh I am fine I have 8 kids remember I get to embarrass them in the store”  “Yeah that’s right you do” she said and smiled.   I said “good bye nice seeing you, I have to get this to Meg before the day is over.”   I went on my way.

I sometimes wonder what the real story was with “crash and the crazy lady.”  They were different than most but they were human. Like Grandma said “God makes all kinds!” The thing is when the crazy lady moved out of that house I remember visiting her down the road and it seemed like she was a nice lady. When I heard that Crash had been found dead in a snow bank I felt very bad for him. I don’t know how long he laid there or any details but had heard something about him freezing. He was a human being like everyone else and he was made by god and I do not wish that on anyone.  How awful to freeze to death if that was the truth.

There is one last thing.  Betty Davis is her name. You still see her around town.  When I was reading the new testament for church (which we are behind on by the way) something reminded me of her. It was Matthew 5: 11 "Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. “Betty Davis no matter what they say about you and even if I feel awkward at times on the sidewalks. I appreciate you!  People do need god rather they want to believe it or not. Thank you, for taking the time all those years ago to plant a seed.”

LUKE 8:11 NKJ
11 "Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God.

The Beatitudes

Matthew 5:

1 Now when he saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, 2 and he began to teach them, saying: 3 "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 4 Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. 5 Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. 6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. 7 Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. 8 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. 9 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God. 10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 "Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.