"And then hard word..."

Years and years ago there used to be an old Baptist preacher that traveled around Cullman County in Alabama that had a very peculiar way of speaking. 

As he was wont to say he wasn't "a very learned man" but he loved the Lord and he loved preaching. 

The problem with not being "very learned" if you're going to be a preacher is that there are some big ole words in the Bible. 

Seriously, you already know this right?

You know when you are sitting in Bible Study or some such and the leader asks everyone to go around the room and read the next verse?

Well, of course the first thing I do is check to see which verse I have to see if I can pronounce all the names.

If that's the first thing you do too you can admit it. This is a safe place for you.

Usually while I'm pronouncing them in my mind it becomes my turn and I have to get prompted to start and then it looks like I wasn't paying attention. 

Nice. 

Sheesh...

Maybe I need to be paying more attention to the actual words being spoken than how I am actually going to speak them.

Anyway...

So, the Bible has some big words.

For instance right now I'm reading the book of Esther in the Old Testament. 

When I flipped it open a few minutes ago this is where my bookmark was:

Esther 4 : 9 - 10

"So Hathach returned to Esther with Mordecai's message. Esther told Hathach to go back and say to Mordecai..."

I mean...that's just two little sentences and it's some big words. 

So back to the traveling preacher...

He would stand up and preach out of the Bible but whenever he came to a hard word he would  just say "hard word"

So, the preceding passage would have sounded like this:

"So hard word returned to Esther with hard word's message. Esther told hard word to back and say to hard word..."

Think it got confusing?

Apparently not because people came from miles around to hear him. 

I'm not sure the actual names are the important parts anyway. 

I mean if God could use Moses with his speech impediment...

And David what with all the adultery and murder...

I guess he could use that old preacher that had trouble with the hard words.