The Women of My Life!

I know we are a few weeks past Mother's Day, but I came across a blog post I wrote 6 years ago.  It struck me that my love and appreciation for the women mentioned in this blog has increased beyond measure.  I have been blessed by the women God has brought into my life and I decided to share these thoughts again (From May 2013):


            As Mother’s Day approaches, I cannot help but think of the special women of my life.  Each of these ladies has blessed me, challenged me by their examples, and brought joy to my life.  As a child growing up, I had the pleasure of being a part of an extended family unit.  My dad’s parents and his brother lived with us on the farm we all tended.  That meant I had both my Grandma and my Mama.  My Grandma was a small woman with a big heart who taught me many things.  She taught me how to shoot a basketball (OK, it was definitely a granny shot – but I became good at it).  She taught me songs like “Church in the Wildwood”, but most of all she showed me what gentleness and humility looked like in action. My Mama battled cancer for over 30 years and taught me about strength and faith.  She never wavered in her faith in God and her trust in His hand in her life.  Her last words to me, after weeks of being unable to speak at all, were, “Isn’t Jesus good!”

The greatest blessing of my life apart from my salvation has been my wife, Sue.  Through good and bad, sickness and health, times of certainty and uncertainty, through the positive things I have done and the stupid things I have done or said, she has shown me how love should be lived out.  She has been my encourager, my comforter, my lover, and my friend.  She has made me laugh and helped me to enjoy life.  We have walked on the beach, cruised on the ocean, watched the sunset in the mountains, and the thing that made each one of those events special was that I got to do it all with her.  She provides peace and refuge in the stormy times of life.  She provides wisdom and insight when life throws us a curve.  She is without a doubt, the helpmate that God created for me!

From the time our son, Shay, was born, Sue and I prayed for his future wife.  We prayed for her life growing up, for God’s protection on her, for her to become the woman God desired her to be, and for her to be someone who would love our son.  We didn’t know who she was, but we prayed.  Our daughter-in-law, Sarah, is the answer to those prayers.  Through her example, she has shown faithfulness and love.  She has exhibited strength in trials and she has been Shay’s partner in ministry.  I look at pictures of the two of them and of their family and what I see is the smile on his face because she is there with him.  I am so thankful for her support of him and his calling and for the wife and mother she has become.

Of course, I can’t forget my last little lady, my granddaughter, Naomi!  She and her brother, Micah, are my pride and joys.  Naomi has known from day one how to twist me around her finger, and I am ok with that. Her smile and her young love for God will both brighten your day.  She teaches me to appreciate the small things in life and to enjoy the moments. When she crawls into my lap and snuggles, she unknowingly silences any problems or concerns I might have.

There are many other women who have impacted my life, from other family members to teachers, both public school and Sunday school.  But these five are the special ladies in my life.  So this Mother’s Day, I will not only think about my Mama, who is now with the Lord, but I will think about these four mothers and one future mother.  I will thank God for the blessings that He gave me with each of these and for the three that still are with me, I will promise to love you and be there for you with all of my being!  Thank you all for being such an amazing part of my life!  But a very special hugs and kisses this week to the mother of my child and the love of my life – I love you, Sue!