A Blood Filled Fountain In Laughed Filled “Hollars”

We are at the Benson Family Reunion.  Every three years, we get the entire clan together. We number 50 something of which 39 are here.  All came from two only children, my Dad and Mom.  Dad died many years ago, and Mom is 9/10ths in heaven.  Their four children, of whom I am the third, are all here, as are many of each of ours.  

Yesterday we were all sitting around visiting, and my brother, talking of getting old, said, “We were going like gangbusters, forging ahead, and then all of a sudden you get old and you just fall apart.”  

I added, “And the fall is so much faster than the rise.”

This morning, I am sitting in a quiet corner thinking of our family.  We are clannish, all for one and one for all, mountain people, Tennesseans, and it's passed on by blood.  We don’t take each other serious, but we take the blood serious.   We are followers of Jesus Christ, and it's his blood we take serious.  He is all we have.  Nothing else matters but passing on His blood to our next of kin. 

We are as goofy a family as you will ever find.  Our laughter fills the mountain hollars as we once again tighten the ties that bind, that blessed “Tie that binds our hearts in Christian love…”  

“There is a fountain filled with blood, drawn from Immanuel’s veins and sinners plunged beneath that flood, lose all their guilty stains.”  

From Fall Creek Falls State Park, and the Benson Family Reunion, sinners all, plunged beneath the blood-filled fountain.  If you pass and hear the laughter-filled mountain hollars, it’s just us. 

  

 

Why An Artist?

Art is a word we have made up to identify what we do to declare our overwhelming desire to praise whoever made the universe.  It is this one ecstasy we are always trying to express.  We often confuse the object of our desire with the self, and then art is not made but only a self-expression.  Art is reserved for the deepest desire of our soul, to help us be in a personal relationship with Whoever made the universe.  The universe is that good, its beauty that beautiful, its existence that spiritual.  If the universe and art are anything, they are a Spiritual/spiritual expressions.  This is the most sincere reason one chooses to become an artist.   

My daughter, Sissy, gave me these roses for Father's Day.
They have been a constant companion for me during my time with 
The LORD.  They remind me that even in death, their beauty is a part
of the Divine realm of love, that art can never play in but can only
lead the artist to a life of praise and worship for the example.

 

 

Tired of Hearing Myself

“Gray hair is a crown of splendor; it is attained in the way of righteousness.”  Getting old ain't for the weak of heart. the frail of spirit, the weak of character, or the uncommitted to Christ.  Old takes such wisdom.  Wisdom to find meaningful and practical ways to compensate for the ongoing failings of our bodies and minds.  It takes grit, true grit, to muster on even in pain and hardship, and to do so without complaining or giving voice to it.  At one time, I made a New Year's resolution to not make any sound when standing up or sitting down.  I got tired of hearing myself moan and groan. 

Old age is the time when you gain so much wisdom because life requires so much more. I now have grown children, with spouses, and grandchildren, and all of them need me to live a life of righteousness and reason, and to often share it with them.  However, I must be wise enough to do so in a way they can kindly accept and apply.  Frequently, it takes greater wisdom to know how to share wisdom than the wisdom you are sharing.  

 

Meanwhile, At Fair Haven

 

Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey!

As one grows old, one receives many opportunities to be reborn as old things wear out, new things are given.  As we see less, we begin to look over more.  As we hear less, we are more forgiving.  “Oh well” comes to mind more and more as we accept the things we can do nothing about.  As we slow down, we give up more of the horizon and see more of the earth beneath our feet.  We sit more, so we see more.  We are cold more so we hold each other more.  We have more time, so we begin to love more, pray more, and allow empathy, sympathy, and caring to take up a greater amount of our feelings.  Getting old is a tough role to play; it's like when all your children were small and needed constant attention and care.  Being old requires constant attention because so much of our body is vying for our attention. Remember when your small child used to stand beside you and say, “Dad! Dad! Dad! Dad! Dad! Dad! Dad! Dad! Dad! Dad! That’s how your old body does, Hey! Hey! Hey! it says. 

I once read a book about a hiker who, because of a hiking accident, had to live with constant pain.  He eventually realized pain was the only way he knew most of his body existed.  His example was when your fingertips get cold, you are suddenly aware you have fingertips.  Being old is the only way we will ever know much of who we are, and of many of life's goodnesses.  

The cicadas were out in 
force this year at Fair Haven

                  

Meeting Again A Mighty Man

I am going to the great parting today, one of my mighty men has passed on to his Father.  There are very few great men in one’s life, those men who you meet and who change the direction of your life.  In fact, he changed the direction of all of my family's lives.  He is the artist who modeled what it meant to be an artist.  42 years ago, he was my art professor, but over my nine years in Art School, he became a man I wanted to be just like.  It wasn’t that I wanted to model my life after him.  I wanted to be just like him.  He was the type of man, artist, Christian, man of God, I wanted to be just like.  I have seven mighty men in my life of 68 years.  He is number three.  A mighty man has parted from earth, and all of earth is poorer, but I am richer.  We were to meet a few months ago, and he had to cancel the day we were to meet.  He texted me and closed with this, “I love you too, Aaron and Betty, and all the kids.  Have a wonderful life. We will meet again.”  Yes, Dr. Darrow.  We will meet again. A mighty man has parted this earth. 

The last time I saw him.

   

These are how I came to know him.

Bearing Your Name and Your Blood

5-18-2025

Number 13 has arrived, making us the luckiest family on earth.  Elijah John Benson is ours, our 13th grandchild.  He is tiny, beautiful, and laid back, squawks only when hungry.  He is a peace-filled balm to this aging old soul.  He is so new, so fresh, a life just begun.  Only the aged can see the depth of joy and satisfaction in the exquisite presence of a newborn human being bearing your name and your blood.