My Mom's Advice for America (Part 1) Chuck Norris | May 07, 2013

My Mom's Advice for America (Part 1) Chuck Norris | May 07, 2013 On Mother's Day weekend 2012, many of you probably watched my 91-year-old mom, Wilma Norris Knight, being interviewed by a friend of ours, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, on his Fox News Channel show, "Huckabee." WorldNetDaily also reported on her television special. If you didn't catch it, you still can view the interview on my official website, at http://chucknorris.com, the only place where you can order an autographed copy of my mother's autobiography, "Acts of Kindness: My Story," which makes a great Mother's Day gift, too. I was rereading through her life story and gleaning the wisdom that was so prevalent in my upbringing in rural Wilson, Okla., particularly her advice about how her generation survived and thrived through the Great Depression, working together as a family in cotton fields. Many people still are struggling in America's recession recovery, and there is no better time than between my mother's 92nd birthday (May 4) and Mother's Day (May 12) for me to share her wisdom with you as encouragement from someone who has been there. The following words are quoted directly from her book (pages 89-92): "How we reawakened the American dream and spirit." "In her inspiring book,The Forgotten Man, Amity Shlaes conveys some fascinating stories about what life was like during the Great Depression. In the very heart of that economic crisis was 'the forgotten man,' a term used for the millions of people who were unemployed. "A popular Depression-era song expresses their pain and struggle: "They used to tell me I was building a dream, with peace and glory ahead. "Why should I be standing in line, just waiting for bread? "Once I built a railroad, I made it run, made it race against time. "Once I built a railroad; now it's done. Brother, can you spare a dime? "As the lyrics remind us, a loss of employment or downturn in one's economic status can change everything. And only those who have truly been there can understand that. "We learned many valuable lessons during those years that served as a basis for the rest of my life. These lessons might also encourage people today suffering through their own economic and employment valleys. I would dare to say that if we lived more by these principles, we would experience far more personal and national recovery and rewards. "Don't be surprised by hardship." "I think it's fair to say that most people today expect life to be easy and sprinkled with a few difficult times. But back in the Great Depression era, we all learned in a big way that life is hard and sprinkled with some easier moments. "The Bible encourages a similar point of view: 'Don't be surprised by the fiery trial that has come upon you.' Even Jesus cautioned us: 'See to it that you are not alarmed' when difficult times come. Other translations include, 'Keep your head and don't panic' and 'See that you are not troubled.' "Another thing I've learned over and over: Bad things happen to good people, but good people can survive bad things. "Fight worry." "Though it's an understandable human reaction, worry is the absence of trust in God and will rob us of God's best. Remember what Jesus encouraged: 'Consider the birds of the air. They do not work or toil, and yet your Heavenly Father provides for them.' "Watching birds is a very real living illustration that can help us overcome anxiety. Elizabeth Cheney wrote a poem in which she explains this lesson through a fictitious conversation between two birds in an orchard: "Said the Robin to the Sparrow, "'I should really like to know "'Why these anxious human beings "'Rush about and hurry so.' "Said the Sparrow to the Robin, "'Friend, I think that it must be "'That they have no Heavenly Father "'Such as cares for you and me.'" "Instead of worrying, Jesus said that we are to 'Seek first God's Kingdom and all your needs will be met.' "This is God's promise in the Bible: 'My God shall supply all your needs according to His riches and glory in Christ Jesus.' As my pastor has shared, God may not give us all our greeds, but He's promised to provide all our needs. "That is also why Jesus taught us to pray in the Lord's Prayer, 'Give us this day our daily bread.' If we only prayed and focused upon 'daily bread,' we'd see many more provision miracles around us. "Get back to the basics." "Simplify your life. Live within your means. People must be willing to cut back and be OK with it. We must quit borrowing and cut spending. Be grateful for what you have, especially your health and loved ones. Be content with what you have too, and remember that stuff will never make you happy. Never. You're not going to take any of it with you. Have you ever seen a U-Haul following a hearse? "Back then, we didn't have 1/1,000th of what people do today, yet we seemed happier, even during the Great Depression. Practice the principles of contentment. As the Bible says, 'With food and shelter, we shall be content.' "Being content with what we have reminds me of a farmer who had lived on the same farm all his life. It was a good farm, but with the passing years, the farmer began to tire of it. He longed for a change for something 'better.' Every day, he found a new reason for criticizing some feature of the old place. Finally, he decided to sell and listed the farm with a real estate agent, who promptly prepared a sales advertisement. As one might expect, it emphasized all the farm's advantages: ideal location, healthy stock, modern equipment, acres of fertile ground, etc. Before placing the ad in the newspaper, the real estate agent called the farmer and read the copy to him for his approval. When he had finished, the farmer cried out, 'Hold everything! I've changed my mind. I am not going to sell. I've been looking for a place like that all my life.' "Enough said." (In Part 2, I will give five more insightful points of advice from my mom.) Happy 92nd birthday and Mother's Day, Mom! You're still the best! Chuck Norris    Chuck Norris is a columnist and impossible to kill.     Carl Ray Louk Not racist, not violent, just not silent anymore Fighting for lower taxes, less government, and more freedom. 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