Tribute

“But I trust in you, O Lord; I say, “You are my God.” My times are in your hand; rescue me from the hand of my enemies and from my persecutors! Make your face shine on your servant; save me in your steadfast love!” Psalm 31:14-16 ESV

I met this beautiful lady that we have gathered to celebrate in January 2010. We were introduced to each other by Jill McCombs at Coosa Valley. Our first date was to watch the national championship game between Alabama and Texas. She was a huge Alabama Crimson Tide fan and the first thing Avery asked me when I walk through the door is, "Who ya for? Bama or Auburn?" and when I told him I was an Arkansas fan he looked at me like I had three eyeballs.

 Alabama won the game that night but she started to win my heart. I saw in Dena a woman of grace and of unmatched beauty. I remember thinking the whole next day, what did I do to be so blessed? What did I do to deserve to spend time with such a great woman and her sweet family?

Over the next six months our love for one another grew and I decided that I couldn't live without her. I asked her to marry me and to my surprise she said yes! Again I was thinking what had I done to deserve a woman of her quality? I was half expecting to wake up from this dream that I was in or her to realize I was completely unworthy of her. But by God's grace she decided I was good enough to keep around. Even though I fell through her ceiling, blew up her garage door motor, and a few other catastrophes that I won’t get into.

She accepted all my faults but one. She told me she couldn't marry a man that wouldn't go to church with her and her kids. At that time in my life, church was the last place that I wanted to be. I was on the run from God and anything to do with Him or His church, but I loved this woman. How could I say no to her? I, begrudgingly at first, started to attend services regularly here at FBC and God started to work on me. And five years later He isn't finished yet.

Over the next few years she showed me the woman that she was, how much she loved me, her family, and countless others. And God showed me that I wasn't alone, that I could come back to Him no matter what I had said or done. She showed me God's love and grace through everything she put her hand to.

Our road together has had its ups and downs, sickness, surgeries, arguments, job loss, and all the stuff that comes from being married. We blended two different groups of people, from two different backgrounds, and made a family from it. We didn't always see eye to eye but there was always a mutual love and respect for one another. We survived through prayer for one another and patience that is given from God. We have a sign that hangs in our house that says: In this house we do second chances, we do grace, we do mistakes, we do real, we do I'm sorry's, we do loud really well, we do hugs, we do love, and we do Family.

There is not a day that has gone by since that I don't thank God for bringing her and the children into my life. I am without a doubt a very blessed man. I want to thank her for loving me in spite of my faults and for basically for putting up with me. If only one person comes to have a relationship with Jesus Christ through this then everything our family is going through is worth it. In the last 192 hours I have seen the grace and the mercy that the Lord bestows on those who love Him and I am reminded of a verse from Hebrews: “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” Hebrews 11:1 ESV