Friday the 13th

Today is Friday the 13th!! Are you scared? If so, I don’t know why! For me (the person with three sixes in her phone number), it’s just another day; the day between the 12th and 14th.

I was always taught that superstition is not of God. The Bible clearly tells us not to be afraid. It does admonish us to fear the Lord. That fear is not the “Scardy Cat” fear but one of respect, love, honor, and awe.

So, what’s the big deal about Friday the 13th? I don’t know, but I find it rather amusing to a certain extent and very interesting.

My dad, who can tell some wonderful stories, would often tell us about the neighbor, he and mom had in New Orleans. Mom and Dad, when they were newlyweds, lived in New Orleans. (That’s a whole other story!) New Orleans is a melting pot of cultures with a heavy influence of Voodoo and heathen demon worship. This spirit has spread over the city like a fog and you can almost feel it in the air. (A major reason why I don’t feel comfortable going there.)

My parent’s neighbor had the “misfortune” of breaking a mirror in her house. She hysterically called dad wanting to know if he would take the broken pieces and dump it into the Mississippi River. If the pieces were not disposed of in this manner, she believed there would be seven years of bad luck for her. Dad, being the kind person he is, agreed to do the deed! On the other hand . . . Dad being the mischievous person he is, threw all but ONE of the pieces into the river. That’s been over 50 years ago. (He’d be arrested today if he dumped something into the river!) I always wondered about that woman and how her life went!?!?! I’m not sure if Dad ever confessed to her or not! (grin)

I’m totally amazed when I go into the grocery store and upon checking out, give the cashier my phone number so that I can receive my discounts. (I have a card that stays lost most of the time so if I give them my phone number, they can pull up my account.) When I give my phone number “6667” I sometimes get some curious, interesting looks.

On one visit to the local Winn Dixie, my order came to $6.66. The cashier (already stunned from my phone number) turned to me and asked, “Would you like to buy something else?” Well no one had ever asked me that before. I was thinking, “What would she do if I said, ‘Yes, that is so sweet of you to ask. Let me go do a little more shopping. I’ll see you in fifteen minutes!’” Puzzled, I told her that I was satisfied with what I had purchased and couldn’t think of anything else that I needed. I asked her why she’d asked me the question and she said that many customers will not pay a total bill when it comes to $6.66 put will either put something back or buy something else to change the amount.

I used that experience in the grocery store to share my relationship with the Lord. I told her that I knew God was in control of my life and didn’t believe that numbers, black cats, or broken mirrors could cause any evil to befall me. I told her that my trust was in the Lord. She informed me that she too was a believer, but she was still superstitious. I walked away feeling sorry for her.

Whatever may happen today or any other day is in the Lord’s hands. My life is His and He is with me!! What freedom we have in His Presence!!!

So, go find a black cat and scratch it behind its ears. I’m sure that on a day like today, he could use a friend!!