Mollie T. Cox, Author at 100 Words

Daily Faithfulness

August 2nd, 2021
Mollie T. Cox

Her children rise up and call her blessed: … Many women have done excellently, but you surpass them all.
Proverbs 31:28-29

My step-grandmother—the Mollie who inspired my pseudonym—was born this day 120 years ago. This photograph shows her essence.

Mollie only went through fifth grade because she was needed at home to cook, clean, and watch siblings. She became a stepmother to three rowdy boys before she had her own daughter. One uncle repeatedly said she saved his life with her counsel and love.

My father and his brothers with Mollie (top left) c. 1936

My father took his last Navy paycheck to buy his mother an electric stove to replace her wood-burning one. She wept.

Mollie did not play with grandchildren, and she was too poor to buy presents. However, she gave us much more with her godly example and love and stories and laughter.

When my grandmother passed, there were so many orders for flowers that one local florist called a distant city for help. My favorite tribute?

Mollie never did anything big according to worldly standards. However, she did the small things daily, and daily faithfulness is harder.”

Decisions

A Skilled Quitter

August 1st, 2021
Mollie T. Cox

One son excels at knowing when to hold and when to fold. He described a high-altitude hike and said, “I decided it wasn’t my day to die. The terrain was becoming treacherous, and I was running out of air.” He told his companions he was quitting. He would wait for them at that spot for the hike back. He later learned that the trail required technical climbing skills and special equipment, both of which he did not have. The leaders had not realized the hike’s difficulty.

Later, my friends were talking about quitting and I said, “My son is a good quitter.” They laughed until I explained that I meant he was skilled at knowing when to stop.

Quitting doesn’t necessarily mean failing or losing or weakness. It can mean recognizing what isn’t working and having the courage to set a new, better goal.

During his hike, my son understood he wasn’t acclimated to the altitude or skilled for the terrain and changed course for the better. He substituted staying alive for reaching a mountain peak.

Along the way, I learned that I and my friends usually didn’t quit at the optimal time.

Do you need a new, better goal?

Basics, Friendship

Transparency Makes a Difference

July 25th, 2021
Mollie T. Cox

Transparency takes courage, but it changes everything. I vividly remember a homeschool prayer breakfast where I learned this truth.

After listening to a beloved supporter of our group encourage us in raising our children in accordance with Scripture, our leader asked for prayer requests. Usually, we shared about children struggling with reading or learning math facts, wisdom in ordering our day, last minute curriculum decisions, dealing with those who opposed our homeschooling, or husbands’ work schedules.

Our speaker jumped in first. She poured out her heart about a matter that was deeply troubling her. She listed her questions, her fears, and her doubts. As an older and wiser woman, she had just given us advice, but she was not afraid of being transparent. She understood she had no merit apart from Christ’s sacrifice. She was equal to us in needing and relying on the grace of God alone.

Our speaker’s transparency—and vulnerability—changed the direction of our meeting. We eagerly followed her example and openly talked about—and then prayed for—the concerns that were most heavy on our hearts. We were different when we left.

Has someone’s transparency helped you?

PS Thank you J’aime.

Decisions, Money

Love It Or Send It Back

July 18th, 2021
Mollie T. Cox

No matter the school choice, summer is a big buying season for the coming academic year. Based on reviews, I occasionally bought curriculum unseen. When it arrived, I sometimes had doubts after looking at the teacher’s guide or skimming the text.

However, I would talk myself into liking it because I thought I should. Others claimed it was their favorite. Or I had spent much time deciding. Or I had spent a lot of money. Or it was a bargain. Or several of the above.

Along the way, I learned to trust my misgivings. No matter how much I hoped that a doubtful curriculum would work, it never did.

If I didn’t like a choice from the beginning, I never would.

I should send it back and pay the postage. (See Free Shipping, No Thanks Here)

The same principle applied to store purchases, especially clothing. If I didn’t love it in the dressing room, I should leave it. Research shows an item is worth the most at the moment of purchase. Afterwards, the value diminishes. I learned liking wasn’t enough to pull out my wallet.

What do you need to return?

Friendship

Walking Each Other Home

July 11th, 2021
Mollie T. Cox

When all is said and done, we’re really just all walking each other home.
Ram Dass

No matter your opinion of Ram Dass, this quote is worth considering. After hearing it, I pondered what it meant to walk someone home. What did it mean for someone to walk me home?

Walking someone home seems simple. It provides company. Company provides safety. Conversation makes a journey seem quicker. Companions lighten our load.

On a deeper level, walking each other home involves vulnerability and intimacy. In olden days, a man declared his intentions with “May I see you home?”

You don’t announce you are walking someone home. You have to be allowed. Especially today, trust is established before a home’s location is revealed.

Walking each other home is a privilege.

Ultimately, walking each other home means arriving at the same destination. Therefore, I need to be aware of the objectives of my fellow travelers.

Who is walking you home? Whom are you walking home?

In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?
John 14:2 (ESV)