Hometown Rankin - December 2017 & January 2018

Prıceless
The
GiftCamille
Anding
Gift-giving in our hometown is fast
approaching a complex undertaking due to
the range of selections offered in stores,
catalogues, and online. Lists are helpful as
we begin our shopping campaigns, but to
find that special gift that remains timeless
and a treasure will always be a challenge.
Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could
box and wrap special qualities for our gifts
this Christmas? Contentment, joy, and
kindness would make the list. Wisdom
would also be a top choice. And here’s
some good news; after just a brief time with
Frank and Mary Ann Mullins of Brandon,
Mississippi, I can offer an early gift of
wisdom from their “storehouse.”
Fifty-three years of marriage and still
smiling qualifies them to share marital
wisdom with other couples. Frank pledged
to try to love his bride as Christ loved the
church. Mary Ann realized her role as
respecting her husband through the love
of God.
They shared some difficult times but
always kept God at the center of their
marriage. Whenever they had to move,
finding a church and developing strong
Christian friendships remained priorities.
In answer to their prayers for children,
God gave them three wonderful sons.
Raising children is a challenging task, but
the Mullins’ wisdom branched out into
child-rearing, too.
Frank said, “We prayed a lot!”
Mary Ann nodded and added, “We
also tried to take them to places and events
that would nurture their spiritual lives.”
The Mullins were regular chaperones
with their sons’ youth groups, and their home
was open to constant youth gatherings.
Togetherness was a key ingredient to
molding and being a model for their sons.
Hugs were a daily wakeup ritual. Then
everyone helped with breakfast, either in
preparation or cleanup before leaving for
work and school. Mary Ann shared how
they kept responsibility charts during the
boys’ early years. Laundry was one of those
chores. Each son carried his dirty clothes
to the laundry room. After the laundry
was washed and dried, the sons had rotation
duty to sort the clothes for the five-member
family. Then they had a folding party
where each member folded and put away
his or her own clothes. Neatness was
always encouraged.
The three sons, Robert married to
Pam, Charles married to Lynn, and
Andy married to Michelle, have blessed
the Mullins with nine grandchildren.
When asked if the three sons, all in
ministry positions, have applied this
parenting wisdom to their own children,
Frank said that it’s never actually been
stated, but the results are obvious. The
wisdom multiplies!
So you’ve opened an early Christmas
present, and it’s guaranteed to never go
out of style or lose its value. Wisdom is a
gift that keeps on giving. n
Hometown Rankin • 95