They are “Good People”. That phrase always did bother me, maybe “perplexed” is a better term.
It was a phrase my daddy sure did use a lot. Never flippantly, but a lot.
I can count on half a hand the individuals my daddy referred to as good people.
Two of those individuals tag team the term. They have been married nearly 60 years. Every time daddy referred to them, it either started with or ended with “They sure are good people”.
For those of you who don’t know, Larry and Lou McQuary were once my mother and father-in-law. Truth be told they were such good people I made them my mother and father-in-law twice (mine and Scott’s first divorce was short lived).
I have spent a quarter century witnessing the life of Larry and Lou McQuary. It is through that time that I now know the true meaning of “good people”.
It is with assurance I now say Good People look a lot like this:
Good people not only go to church, but are the hands and feet of Christ.
They are the first ones to arrive in time of crisis.
They not only teach Sunday School and serve as part of the deacon body, they live a life of service. They serve with joy.
“Good People” are the first ones to show up at your doorstep with a crockpot full of homemade vegetable soup, a stack of bowls, and all the plastic wear necessary to prevent you having to exert any energy in the kitchen.
Good People are never imposing. They simply remain at the threshold and ask what needs to be done next. They will then go home and add you to their prayer list, and when the soup has had time to run out. They will show back up with barbecue— again, with all the fixins’.
Their character is such you could have a month's pay in your wallet, leave it with them and know the keeping is safer than any FDIC.
It took years for me to understand that good people are the kind that have boundaries you don’t cross but will come to aid no matter how wide of a boundary they have to cross.
Good people remain in the shadows (which is why I may get in trouble for this post). They don’t seek recognition.
Good people don’t simply care, they act.
They are gracious in all their goodness.
They are faithful to a fault. If they agree to something, we can all agree it will be seen through to the end.
They deny a perfect life but have graciously gone about life.
Good people aren’t born with a prestigious or prominent name, they make one.
Good people offer more than a second chance every chance they get.
Good people not only set expectations and meet them. They will help you meet yours as well.
Good people put Christ first, their family second, and watch everything else fall in place.
They love to take pride in their children and are silly over their Grandchildren.
For 25 years I studied this term “Good People” that my daddy ever so selectively used.
My first recollection came the morning Scott crawled out the window. Not my window, his own window. Out of respect for living under my mother and father's roof, I could have sworn I covered my bases by letting my mother know I would not be home on that particular Saturday night. I had concocted some story about going to Sardis with a group of friends and spending the night. Apparently, concocting was as far as I got, because she never got the memo.
Midnight came, no Mandi. 1AM, she was calling my girlfriends, all of which were *afraid to answer. By 3AM she finally found one willing to catapult me right under the bus, saying “Mrs Mary, I am pretty sure she is at Scott McQuary’s house”.
My mother had heard of Scott McQuary one time when I casually made the mistake of showing her where he lived. Scott was 9 years older than me and lived on his own.
By 4am she was knocking on Scott’s side door. Meanwhile, Scott was well on his way out the back window. Any mama that would show up at a grown man’s house to reclaim her daughter, was a mama worth running from.
Mother’s only words that morning were “ Get in your car your daddy hasn’t gone to work yet.” My daddy worked third shift and at this point was already 3 hours late.
I walked in the door. My daddy was in the kitchen. He walked past me on his way out the door and said, “I am glad he comes from good people”.
Perplexed is how he left me when he went to work that day.
It wasn’t many weeks later (enough time for the stick to clearly read positive), I told my daddy that Scott would be asking for my hand in marriage. I implored that he please be nice to Scott, we were merely trying to do the right thing.
We finished our steaks that night and Scott asked daddy if he could marry me. To which my Daddy never asked a question and replied, “Scott, you oughta know how to take care of her. You come from some mighty Good People”.
Scott was relieved. I was perplexed.
When I told Daddy about mine and Scott’s first divorce, again he asked no questions. He simply stated, “You remember, he comes from good people”.
I remember thinking, “Ugh, I’m not married to Scott’s parents.”
When I told Daddy of our second divorce, he still had no questions. However, this time he added to his response “Well, you might be divorcing him, but I ain’t divorcing anybody. He comes from good people”.
So it was, I had moved away from that 80 acres and Scott built right on it for the SECOND time.
My daddy thought a lot of Scott. Scott was a pallbearer at daddy's funeral and was visibly just as upset as my brother and I. Those two had a special relationship.
I am certain it has been some form of coping mechanism for me. But I have replayed the reunion of my daddy and Scott countless times. I feel confident it went something like this: My daddy having been there a while and knowing the eternal value of not having to ask questions, he simply put his gentle hands on Scott’s tired shoulders and said, “Now aren’t you glad you come from such good people”.
Good people don’t go to heaven for being good. Good people can't get anyone else to heaven, but it’s hard to be around them and not be turned in that direction. Can you imagine where many of us would be if it weren't for such “Good People”?
What a legacy.
Mr Larry, Mrs Lou we sure do love and appreciate you. Y’all sure are some mighty good people.
Ephesians 2:8-9 “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.”
NO AMOUNT OF GOOD CAN SUBSTITUTE THE BLOOD JESUS, BUT IT SURE CAN HELP LEAD A FELLA TO IT.