I’ve been to Plains Georgia, home of Jimmy Carter, to the peanut farms, in the mid or late 1970s early 1980s, yes, amid the many years that my family embraced quite the traveling bug. Oh that was such a blessing. We went everywhere up and down the east coast twice a year. And once in Plains Georgia, I remember just a little being so young, my dad driving through and I remember the amazement that someone could rise to greatness as a president out of a tiny town. We got something from a gift shop somewhere, raw peanuts, a strange experience as I never had them, they grow from underground, marvelous wow… And I remember that trip my Georgia-residing uncle was thrilled to show us all the sights including that experience, in Plains sight. 

I never met Jimmy Carter, but my uncle did! My uncle was in the administration of the state of Georgia’s prison system and he once sat at a private dinner with the then Governor and Mrs Carter, I can see professional black and white 1960s photo, 8 x 10, crisp in my mind. My uncle so proud. Peanuts to some, but not to us, it was AWESOME to understand this connection of the little guy to the big, to feel the down to earthness too, right there in Plains sight.

I appreciated the funeral services for President Carter both DC and in Plains, I watched the video replay in binge speed, tearing up many times during the speeches listening on my commute home. Oh the beautiful sharing of Jesus’s name and mission, and the goodness of the faith Jimmy Carter had, JC in JC. The smaller funeral in Plains was touching like it was for Rosslyn. This time the cameras showed the graveside too, from a distance. Loved the preacher was very personal, the message about the fruits of the Spirit was so perfect, and the family being so held together with the community. It was love in Plains sight…

I pray them peace. Amy Carter was young entering the White House, when I was young too. Her brothers older are now older too, like all of us. And 100 years for JC – wow – JC trusting in JC.

I pray we too will have full lives lived, and like JC and JC, rise from a small town into a big scene. Not to be president but to humbly cast our crowns in Heaven to the greatness of the Lord. That’s a day when Jesus will be in our Plains Sight.

Amen 

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A couple of the DC speeches; and the whole event in Plains and DC:

Fast forward to Plains at the 3 hrs mark:

The DC portion:

The flyover Missing Man formation