Part III – Love under new management
It is my sincerest prayer that those who have an ear to hear will ingest these words that are penned here. Pastor Wintley Phipps says: “It is in the quiet crucible of your personal private suffering that your nobelest dreams are born and God’s greatest gifts are given in compensation for what you’ve been through. Watch your thoughts, they become words; watch your words, they become actions, watch your actions, they become habits; watch your habits, they become character, for it becomes your destiny.” What is love? Is it, love means never having to say goodbye? Is it, love never remembering or holding on to the wrongs that has been transgressed against you? Or is it, love is not pompous and always self-seeking?
Well, in retrospect, and penned in God’s holy book that “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy. It does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres” — I Corinthians 13:4-7. We must be ever so careful to remember the power of life and death is in our tongue.
I present to some, and introduce to others, “The original Reginald Denny.” Born to wonderful parents, Joseph and Amelia Denny, I am the eighth child of nine and the youngest of the five boys, having four beautiful sisters. My parents are originally from Bristol, Virginia, yet they moved here around the beginning of the 1960s. I was born on April 29 at the Columbia Hospital for Women. I do believe my parents were the most beautiful, influential people on God’s green earth.
That’s my story, and I’m sticking to it. My mother and father were madly in love and would place anyone before the other. I could tell by the look in their eyes, and how they would embrace at those times when they shared that intimate kiss. It made me so happy they were happy! Joseph was a military man; he served in the United States Army. While enlisted in the service, he was awarded the “Purple Heart,” as well as the “Silver Star” for his active role while serving. Dad could even speak some German as a result of being in the military. I was very proud to call him my daddy. From time to time, he would sit with me and tell stories and exploits of things he did and was faced with while enlisted in the army. My dad was well over six feet tall and a handsome young man with a lot of confidence exuding from him. The family called him “Big Joe Denny.”
Amelia was a homemaker, domestic worker, and I thought she was the most beautiful woman in the world. When I became older, my mind was made up that I was going to find a girlfriend as beautiful as my mom. Mom worked for two prominent lawyers within the Chevy Chase quadrant of the District. She would rise up early in the morning, before it was time for me to go to school, and ask me to assist her in using the iron to press her somewhat damp slip and slightly wrinkled skirt-dress. She even introduced me to sewing and taught me how to use clear-fingernail polish in the temporary mending of her older stockings. My mother was a jewel, as well as intelligent. The greatest gift she passed on to me was her cooking and cleaning. I caught on quickly. What I liked best was preparing pound-cakes, pineapple upside-down cakes, lemon cakes, coconut cakes and homemade biscuits. What she shared with me at a very young age prepared me and positioned me to fend for myself right today. I am exceedingly independent.
As a result of my parents pouring into my life, even in the midst of some of our lacking, I still felt like I was rich, because of the love shown to me through them. Joseph and Amelia are no longer here with us, they’ve gone on to be with the Lord but they left me with substance. They instilled in me the ability to not depend on other people but to be self-sufficient. I can remember some people getting and being jealous and envious and mad at me for having confidence even though I was supposedly poor. I had some good days and I had some bad days. I am assured and content at knowing that God is always with me no matter come what may. Love covers a multitude of sin. The things I’ve transgressed in throughout my life is what I did…thanks be to God thats not who I am. I have the favor of God upon my life regardless of what I’ve done. That’s the love! God has a plan for our lives and you can’t do a thing about it! God’s love for us will be brought to fruition if we but yield confess and receives the riches of his glory. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.
The original Reginald
You know, once upon a time, a long time ago in a neighborhood in D.C. there was once this young boy who enjoyed playing basketball, riding his bike and going swimming at the capital east pool which today is called “The Historical Eastern Market.” Life was so simple then at 11 and 12 years old. You got up in the morning washed up brushed your teeth, combed your hair and got your books together to ready yourself for school. Breakfast usually consisted of a bowl of cornflakes/wheaties and milk and good ole piece of bread with butter and grape jam. The most important thing was to have something in our stomach off to school I would go! Every now and then before going to school, as my mom was getting ready for work, she would have me iron her slip and shirt/dress while she got her hair or wig together. My momma used to wear coffee bean stockings. Sometimes she would have a run in her stockings. And she would use clear-finger-nail polish to help prevent them from getting a worse run. Momma would put on her lipstick and perfume and the fragrance smelled so good. Momma was so pretty when she got all her clothes just how she wanted. I’ll always love my momma, she’s my favorite girl! My momma was my queen. Speaking now of fragrances, I can remember those orange cone-shaped flowers called “honeysuckles”. That’s love!
