On my devotional page you’ll read about
the man I married. The man his mother named Gary but I called Luke or husband
or honey.
When I wanted something special, I buttered him up with kisses and
called him “Sweetie.”
I’m
speaking about the guy I lived with for almost 51 years. The man supposed to
die in 2002.
God had other plans.
In January 2007, five years post death
sentence, Gary walked out of the bathroom and said, "Mook, God told me to
sing again. If you can find me a pianist and places to sing I’ll do it.”
Wow, what a change in attitude. I’d begged
the man to sing. Over the years I’d felt he’d wasted a God given gift. When
husband sang he touched my heart strings, but often he said, “I can’t sing.” Or
“I’m too nervous to sing.” Or “Pianists play what’s written, I sing from the
heart.”
Knowing all his past excuses, I began to
pray for the right pianist and places to sing.
Because I’d written about all the churches
in Cass County for the prior year, I found immediate openings for his voice.
But, like he said, the first pianist volunteered her time, yet often spent the
practices trying to keep husband “on beat” with her. I could see him getting
frustrated, yet God called him to sing.
I’m not sure what happened, but the first pianist
wasn’t available and we needed another one like yesterday. And God provided.
Karen Collier followed husband. They were a perfect team. And God continued to
open doors for the gifted man named Gary Crawford, the man of my dreams.
Come back for more to the story.
