Well, I can't make a list of people who have profoundly changed my life without mentioning J & R. Oh my goodness, how I love those two. J is cowboy to the core. He's of the old school, respectful of women, honest to the nth degree. His word is his bond. He is the one who taught me to laugh at myself. He didn't make the learning all that pain free either I might add. He used to tease me mercilessly. Somehow God had given him the insight to know exactly what it was I needed and he set about getting me to lighten up. I've got so many of the funniest, laugh-out-loud memories of times spent at the L spread.
R was like a big sister to me and since I didn't have one (I AM the big sister) it was a precious, precious joy. I looked to her for advice on how to raise my kids (their four have turned out BEAUTIFULLY), how to be a hostess (I could NEVER measure up to her greatness), and how to be a servant. J taught me to laugh, he taught me to keep my word and he taught me to do the right thing regardless of the personal cost. They welcomed us into their family AS family. When my first born came along they adopted him as their own. Nothing grabs your heart and bonds it forever with someone else's as the act of loving your kid. They kept Matt when I needed them to and also when they created a reason to. Of course that was far and away okay with him. J got in the habit of taking Matt to the cafe for coffee breaks during the day. Like any honest to goodness Texas town the cafe existed for all the men-folk to come in for coffee at an appointed time of day. Matt loved being one of the men when he was just 2 or 3 or 4. One time he saved his own money because he wanted to be the one to buy the coffee. Thankfully J let him.
It was to R that I turned during the darkest hours of my life. I don't think I spent even one breath trying to figure out who I could talk to. I knew instantly who it would be and I knew she would do everything in her power to help. She did. Just by being there. The years and circumstances have taken me far away from the L homestead and it grieves me not to see them frequently. I am ashamed to admit I don't take advantage nearly often enough of the phone to talk to them. But at odd times, when I least expect it, the phone rings. On the other end of the line I hear some really outrageous joke and then a burst of laughter and in that instant I am drawn right back to that little Panhandle town. J gets a kick out of seeing how outrageous he can be and he does it without cracking a smile...for a second or two. No one enjoys his jokes more than he himself.
I am so sorry that my younger two haven't had the blessing of being in their company more. The first 5-1/2 years of Matt's life were spent in nearly daily contact with them. Who am I kidding? There was lots and lots of times it would be more accurately portrayed as hourly contact with them. It's incredible to me that as little time as Tyler & Katie have had with them that they were so deeply impacted that they will mention out of the clear blue that they want to go visit J & R.
The Bible says that God will bless us "exceedingly, abundantly more than we can ask or even think". He did that in spades when he brought that family into my life. I am so looking forward to spending eternity in their company.
I love you guys.
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