Most days you just hang in there
We got to spend some time with this gorgeous woman recently. Mrs. Doris was my very first mentor. Her husband, Hugh, was Eddie’s first. We met them when we were a young dating couple. When we got engaged they took me in their home to live for a few months prior to our wedding so that I wouldn’t have to renew a lease and they treated me like their own daughter. At the time, Eddie was working for the Fellowship of Christian Athletes under Hugh who had gotten it off the ground in S.C.
Hugh had received Jesus in his 50s. When he did, he left an incredible job to follow after Jesus. We were just two who benefited from that decision. Hugh was Eddie’s Paul. It was a Paul and Timothy relationship from the start. And Doris was the older woman pouring into an 18 year old soon to be bride. She answered questions that a young bride would have and I’ll forever be grateful for those conversations, her openness and transparency. They were two of the least pretentious people we had ever known. We followed them as they followed Christ.
Today we celebrated Hugh’s 91 year old life and Eddie had the honor of doing his service. I asked Doris before we left, what she would say to other young brides if they were sitting across from her. She said she would say the same things that she said to me: “the shallow kind of love isn’t good enough. It’s got to run deep to last. And most of the time you just have to hang in there.” They were married for 68 years so her advice is worth listening to.
I hope you have those ahead of you in the game of life that you spend time with, listen to and seek wisdom from. And I hope you have some a little behind you that are benefiting from you and your life experiences. We need more Paul/Timothy relationships and older women pouring into the younger ones.
Hugh had received Jesus in his 50s. When he did, he left an incredible job to follow after Jesus. We were just two who benefited from that decision. Hugh was Eddie’s Paul. It was a Paul and Timothy relationship from the start. And Doris was the older woman pouring into an 18 year old soon to be bride. She answered questions that a young bride would have and I’ll forever be grateful for those conversations, her openness and transparency. They were two of the least pretentious people we had ever known. We followed them as they followed Christ.
Today we celebrated Hugh’s 91 year old life and Eddie had the honor of doing his service. I asked Doris before we left, what she would say to other young brides if they were sitting across from her. She said she would say the same things that she said to me: “the shallow kind of love isn’t good enough. It’s got to run deep to last. And most of the time you just have to hang in there.” They were married for 68 years so her advice is worth listening to.
I hope you have those ahead of you in the game of life that you spend time with, listen to and seek wisdom from. And I hope you have some a little behind you that are benefiting from you and your life experiences. We need more Paul/Timothy relationships and older women pouring into the younger ones.