Regina Swarn Audio Series Presents

The Power of Remembering: A Birthday Tribute to Miss Betty

• Regina Swarn • Season 7 • Episode 10

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The unexpected boomerang of kindness creates powerful connections that often return to us when we need them most. In this intimate bonus episode, I share a deeply personal story about my former coworker Miss Betty, whose birthday celebration revealed the beautiful symmetry of compassion in our relationship.

When Miss Betty called me late at night requesting I sing at her church celebration the very next day, I didn't hesitate despite the inconvenience. What followed was a profound reminder of how our seemingly small acts of kindness leave lasting impressions. During this celebration, Miss Betty revealed something I'd completely forgotten—during her six-week absence from work due to health issues, I had called her every single day while others gradually stopped checking in. Those consistent calls and other forgotten kindnesses had formed the foundation for her unwavering support during my recent dark times.

This experience illuminates a powerful truth about human connection: when someone comes to mind, that prompting deserves attention. Don't just acknowledge the thought and move on—call them, text them, reach out however you can. Your "small" act might be precisely what someone needs during their darkest hour. As I watched Miss Betty enter her celebration dressed in angelic white, I witnessed the embodiment of this principle—a spirit that remembers kindness and returns it tenfold.

Have you ever received unexpected support from someone who remembered your kindness when you'd forgotten it yourself? Or perhaps you've been the one to maintain contact when others drifted away. Share your experience or reach out to someone on your heart today. Contact swarnregina@gmail.com and keep an eye out for more episodes coming soon.

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Speaker 1:

Hello everyone, welcome back to another episode and this is another bonus episode of Regina Soren Audio Series Presents. This is another bonus episode. I will do my best to keep it within the 10 minute frame that I have destined it to be, but sometimes it goes over. Today I want to give a shout-out, and you guys know I've given shout-out to many different friends, ministers, co-workers, family and today I want to give another shout-out to one of my former co-workers. Her name she goes by the name of Miss Betty. Her name is Miss Betty. She don't go by the name Miss Betty, her name is Betty, but everyone calls her Miss Betty. And before I go into that shout out, because her birthday was yesterday, I don't want to forget To say a few things about her. So I yeah, I'm going to do that in a moment Give you a place that you can contact me Again.

Speaker 1:

You don't hear music in the background, and this is a bonus episode, so there's no music. There's nothing but the ticking clock or the wind blowing, because the wind is kind of blowing a little bit and I love sitting on the patio and I just enjoy looking up at the sky. I don't know what it is about, whether it's a sunny day or a rainy day or whatever. I love looking up at the sky and, yeah, but a place you can contact me. Contact me at soaringretina at gmailcom. My bonus episodes are generally 10 minutes and it's been maybe a few months since I did a shout-out, so I'd like to give a shout-out today to Miss Betty. Miss Betty's birthday was actually yesterday, the same birthday of my wonderful nephew. My sweet, amazing nephew's birthday was yesterday as well, march 19th. So we are all March babies, yay, but Miss Betty's birthday was yesterday.

Speaker 1:

I was all set to sing for her church celebration on this coming Sunday. Little did I know it was last Sunday. So when Miss Betty called me at 12.15, 12.30 after midnight on Saturday and asked me, could I sing for her? Am I still going to sing for her celebration, I said yeah, and she was letting me know like it's tomorrow, which the next day was Sunday. I was like what she said? Yeah, it's tomorrow. They always do it before her birthday. I was like, oh my God, I had my suit in the dry cleaners. I had. My voice is always ready to sing, I don't care when it's always in season to sing, so that I didn't have to prepare that. But my clothes and some things I wanted to do and I was like, is tomorrow really? She said yes, it's tomorrow. Will you be able to sing for me? I did not hesitate.

Speaker 1:

I did say at one point like, well, I gotta go, I gotta find something to wear. But I didn't let that linger too long. I said yes, I will do it. I got off the phone with her. I said, lord, help me find something, because I put my suit in the dryer cleaner, thinking it's going to be the week. Help me find something because I put my suit in the dryer cleaners, thinking it's going to be the week, this week, coming up this Sunday here. But I found something to where I think God sometimes want to know that we are ready. He might, he might call you to do something at any time. You should always be ready in season or out of season. So I said yeah, and so as soon as I got off the phone I just went rambling through my closet and I did find I threw some pieces together and after that I decided on the song choices.

Speaker 1:

I was going to sing Always do old songs. I love classic gospel, just like I like classic rock, I like classic gospel songs. So I chose the family that I love most, the Waxahawks. I did something from one of their old records. I did Dear Jesus, I Love you just a piece of that. And then I did Through the Storm by Yolanda Adams.

Speaker 1:

It was a beautiful day, but I want to tell you something about Miss Betty. She reminded me of something that I had totally forgotten. See, sometimes when you do things for people, you don't know what an impact that is to them. You don't know what an impact that is to them. You don't know what that impact is. Sometimes, when you do good to other people, you don't know. And sometimes, if people are on your heart, that goes for to say if people are on your heart, sometimes don't look the other way. If you can reach out to that person, reach out. If you can call that person, call that person. If you can do something for that person, reach out. If you can call that person, call that person. If you can do something for that person, do something for that person. I want to tell you I went through a storm in December and January and if you go back to my podcast, my recent podcast that I recorded last week about how God intervened in my life. That tells the story without telling a whole lot of it.

Speaker 1:

And throughout that time Miss Betty was a constant. She stayed in contact with me. She did things for me that I won't talk about here. I mean, she was just very instrumental in me getting back to where I needed to be. And I asked her, I think the other day, you know why. You know a lot of times when people are off the job or out sick or out whatever people will call, and stuff in the beginning, but then it tapers off. But she was a constant, a constant, and so I asked her. I said why were you out of everybody? You were a constant, why? And she said Regina, you know what she said.

Speaker 1:

When I was out sick with my leg, having trouble with my leg, you were the only person that called me every day, checking on me. She said I call you sometimes first, but you always beat me to it. She said you call me to see how I was doing. She said you called me to see how I was doing. Now, mind you, I wasn't sick or anything, guys, but sometimes when I'm going through a dark valley, that dark valley could be a depressing mind things that I go through, but she constantly was checking on me and she reminded me because of that. She said nobody else called me. You were calling me, checking on To see how I was doing. I have forgot about that, guys. I forgot it. I, you see the things I do, sometimes I'm just, it's just in my heart to do them. And I was calling checking on her Because I was still at the other job at the time I was calling. I was genuinely concerned How's she doing? How's your leg, how's your feet? I called her every day, sometimes a couple of times, and she said I remembered that.

Speaker 1:

See, sometimes you think you could do things go unnoticed, but do them. If God leads someone on your heart, if God puts someone on your heart. Don't look the other way and say I thought of you today. No, contact that person if you're able to. If you can't reach them by phone, send them a message, email them whatever. However, you can reach them, reach out to them, because you don't know what they're going through. Most of the time, a lot of the time, people will look the other way and I thank God she didn't and the fact that she said that it's because that you did not forget me when I was out, she said and she was out for, I think, six weeks Every day.

Speaker 1:

I called that lady every day just to lift her spirits, you know. She said I didn't forget that. She said I never forgot that. And she said that's why I have done and did the things that I do to help you or to be of help to you. And it made me just cry, cry, cry, cry, cry. It made me cry. And she went on to say this is another thing. She said she did something so beautiful for my birthday and I'm not going to tell you guys what it was. She did something really beautiful for my birthday. She reminded me of when I first started the job, where I was, where she is now.

Speaker 1:

She said remember when you had those gift cards. She said you gave me a gift card. She said you probably don't forget this stuff and I totally have forgot it. I guess I do think sometimes I totally forget them because it's genuinely from my heart. So she said you don't remember. I said I don't remember and then she brought my mind back to it and then I remembered oh yeah, I remember one of the other girls, ladies that were there, athena. It was different people.

Speaker 1:

I had these gift cards. I was just giving them out and I would like to give her a gift card, and I did, and she brought all this to my remembrance. I just totally forgot it. See, when you do good to other people, when you do good and it's from a good heart, god is not going to forget you. He's not going to forget you. And I had totally forgotten that about when she was out, how I stayed in touch with her every day, forgotten that about when she was out, how I stayed in touch with her every day, the gift card. I forgot about all that stuff, but she hadn't forgotten it and I thank God for her.

Speaker 1:

I thank God for her because she was very instrumental in my total mental health. I'm going to be honest with you. She was instrumental in her encouraging words in December and in January, because I do think of my sister Laura a lot and sometimes I go into that dark place again sometimes and I have to pray hard to keep myself from out of that place. I don't want to be there, but I thank God that someone had me on their heart. Sometimes, when a person is going through things and I am that person I may not tell you that I'm going to do that. But it takes a real woman of God or a friend to really dissect that and say, okay, talk to me. I thank God for her. You know a lot of people say, yeah, I'm not going to ask that. Yeah, I'm not going to ask that, I'm not going to ask not. Yeah, I'm not going to ask not. But I thank God for those two women and men and friends of God.

Speaker 1:

I thank God for Miss Betty today, yesterday was her birthday. I don't know how old she is, but I tell you what when she walked in that church on Sunday, I went to her church to sing for her. When she walked in that church, I could see nothing but an angel, nothing but an angel. She was dressed all in white, the white hat. A beautiful angel is what I saw walk through that door. I was beholding an angel Only reminding me of my late great pastor, prophetess Mother AB Jackson, and I don't say that very frequently, but to see her walk through those doors and then the person who was leading the voice and had everybody to stand up, just as they used to do when Mother would walk through those doors, and then the person who was leading the abortion, had everybody to stand up, just as they used to do when mother would walk through the door. Give honor what honor is due.

Speaker 1:

The premise of this particular bonus podcast is Don't forget a person's good doings. Don't forget them, never forget them. I forgot the things that I had did for her, done for her. I forgot it. She didn't forget it. I looked at it as something small, but she didn't.

Speaker 1:

I think of another person she's passed away now. Her name was Miss Louise. She was at the job job the past job that I used to be at. Um, she had, you know, breast cancer and got sick and eventually passed away. But while she was out, I would call that lady, call her, call her, call her, call her and check on her. She said the same thing that miss betty said. She said you are. She said other people were calling me. Then it tapered off. She said you constantly call me, checking on me. She said Regina. What broke my heart is when she was at the hospital and had had a stroke and was about to die. I didn't even know she was in the hospital. Some of the other coworkers knew, and they didn't even know she was in the hospital. Some of the other co-workers knew and they said they were afraid to go in the room because they were scared. The lady was on the fourth floor. Are you kidding me? This person was your co-worker that worked beside you every single day and you're scared to go in the room. What are you talking about? Okay, let me not make this into another whole podcast, because I am going to do a podcast again about when a person is on your heart. They're on your heart for a reason and it's not to look the other way, but back to my happy, happy podcast.

Speaker 1:

I thank God for Miss Betty. It was a pleasure and an honor for me to sing at her birthday celebration on last Sunday. I thought it was this Sunday, but I thank God that I did not say no. I thank God I didn't. There's no way I could have said no. She's been too good to me. I thank God. I had a great time. The food was good, everybody that spoke. It was just wonderful to see her whole beautiful family there. It was wonderful. I had a great time and I'm so thankful that she thought enough of me to ask me to come and sing for her and I thank God that I had enough sense to say yes, because sometimes we make excuses. And you got nothing to wear, which I really had to go and wash some stuff Because, again, my suit was in the cleaners and I was thinking it was just Sunday, but I thank God I went anyway.

Speaker 1:

So when you do things for people, just know sometimes that they don't forget those good things that you do for them. And she didn't forget, I forgot. I didn't think she had to remind me several times about those different things. I told you. I forgot about that Because I know when I do things, I do it from the genuineness of my heart. God knows my heart, he knows my heart, he knows our heart and I just thank God for her today.

Speaker 1:

Happy birthday again. I showed that to you on last Sunday. I was able to sing to you, go over and hug your neck afterwards. Everybody that got up and said something I can attest to. Everything that they said is so true. Her sisters were speakers saying things and it was just beautiful, a beautiful day, beautiful day, and I thank God that she counted me in the number as to go and sing for her. I thank God for that. Like I said, the voice is always there. I'm going to do a podcast about how you should keep the voice oiled up. And a lot of people think I don't sing anymore. That's not true. I haven't recorded in a couple of years, but I do still sing, guys. I keep this voice going at all times. So, happy birthday, miss Betty.

Speaker 1:

I don't know if you're going to hear this pop-up bonus podcast, but I want to say thank God for you. I think I showed that to you on Sunday. Thank you, thank you, thank you for everything. Thank you for everything. You're encouraging words in December and January. I needed them so much, the things that you did. I thank God for that. I thank God for you. And this is another shout-out, a bonus pop-up podcast, a shout-out to my friend, my former co-worker, but mostly a great friend, miss Betty. God bless you. I pray that he bless you 100-fold, and I know he will for the great things that you do for so many people. I was listening to the different people get up on Sunday. She, oh my God, this lady helps so many people, so I thank God for her. Thank God for you. Thank God for you Been a blessing in my life. I thank God for you. Miss Betty, happy birthday. It was yesterday and I thank God for you so much. I'm Regina Soren. Look at the time 19 minutes, oh my goodness. And this is a bonus pop-up. I tell you it might go over, but to God be the glory. You can contact me at swornregina at gmailcom.

Speaker 1:

Thank you to all those wonderful people who you know, who support this podcast. You might not support it monthly, but if you support it by sharing it, that means to me just as much. Those who support it, you know, monthly. I appreciate you as well. Thank you so much. It helps me pay for the podcast, which is not that much a month. I mean $50,. I think that I pay for the hosting. So for the ones who you know, send a few dollars to help me out, I thank you so much. It goes toward the hosting. And again, thank you to those who share my podcast and get them out to your family. Thank my sister, missionary Dason, for sharing it and so many others who shared them. God bless you. I got more podcasts coming up, so be on the lookout. Regina Soren Audio Series Presents is in the house. Have a blessed day and take care of yourselves. Goodbye.