“Chad, my brother-in- Christ, nephew and son.”
God puts people in our lives that help make us better! My nephew-son, Chad Philip Barrett, is one of those people for me!
I knew Chad was a special gift from God the moment he was born! The mere glimpse of the crown of his head as he was being born made tears flow down my cheeks.
Chad was such a pleasure to help raise, and watch grow up to become a man. He refers to me as “Bil Bil," and it warms my heart, still to this day, every time he says that to me.
“Us Is Ok,” is a little phrase of three words that means so much to Chad and me.
Whenever there is doubt about anything in this world, Chad and I tell each other “Us Is Ok!” What we are really telling each other is that God is with us, around us, inside us at all times, and there is nothing to be afraid of.
I used to take Chad almost everywhere I went when he was growing up. We truly enjoyed spending time together! Chad liked being with me for business deals too.
One Saturday morning, I took Chad with me to buy a new truck. We decided to eat breakfast at the Waffle House on the way to the dealership. In the middle of our meal, I asked the waitress if they accepted debit cards. She smiled and said, “No, we only accept cash.” I looked at her and said, “Ok, great.” After I made that reply to the waitress, my heart sunk! I looked in my billfold, and realized that I only had debit cards with me and zero cash on hand. Immediately, I frantically started calling one of my friends to come and bring us some cash. I explained the situation to Chad and he understood although he was only about ten years old.
My friend was playing tennis and her phone was in the car. While I was trying to reach her, I was swirling around what was left of my waffle and syrup in the plate as if I was still eating my meal. Customers that were waiting for tables were starting to look very irritated that Chad and I were taking so long to finish eating because they wanted our table.
Finally, my friend called me back with worry because I had called her phone so many times. I explained our situation to her and she brought Chad and me some cash for our meals. When she pulled up outside of Waffle House, I sent Chad outside to her car to get the money she had brought. When Chad came back inside, he discreetly gave me the money to pay for our meals and said “Us is Ok!” I knew exactly what he meant!
Next, we went to the dealership to look at vehicles. Chad helped pick out the vehicle that he wanted me to purchase. It was a black, Chevy truck with gray leather interior and was very nice. We took the truck for a test drive, then came back to the dealership to sign the sales contract.
As we were driving home in our new truck, Chad looked at me and said, “Bil Bil, I don’t understand how we just bought a new truck without any money but had to pay the Waffle House cash before we could leave.” That was probably the funniest statement and situation that I had ever encountered in my life!
Do you believe in your heart that God is always with you?
Joshua 1:9
“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.”
To learn more about Dr. Billie J. Minton's ministries within her Blue Ridge Moment book series, please visit her author website at BlueRidgeMoments.com.
Dr. Billie J. Minton's Blue Ridge Moments books; Volume 1, subtitled, "Your Life Is Only As Good As Your Connection With Jesus," and Volume 2, subtitled, "Celebrating Footsteps of A God Dependent Life," and Blue Ridge Tenderpup children's book series may be found at Amazon.com and BlueRidgeMoments.com.
