One Pastor's Perspective

Well, here it is!!  Over six months later, and TODAY I was finally able to put my wedding band back on!!!  This wedding band is very special to me, not only because my bride of almost 24 years put it on my hand.  Not only because it is a symbol of the promise I made to her, her family, my family, the whole world, and God that I will be the BEST HUSBAND God allows me to be for the rest of our lives.  This band has another significant meaning … It belonged to Diana’s dad, who died when she was a senior in high school.

I only got to know Don Duncan for nine months. He was a Godly man.  He was fun.  He was ferociously loyal to his family AND to his Clemson Tigers (a trait his daughter has, and now his grandchildren, too!)  And his family loved him.  And he returned their love.  When I look at him, at my dad, and my grandpa, I’ve had some pretty good mentors about what it means to be a husband, father, and lead a family.  And I’ve got a lot to live up to.  This ring reminds me of what God expects from me … and a dad who is hanging around with Him in Heaven right now.  When I see Don again one day, I hope he’ll tell me I did his ring justice!!

Okay, so this is my first Labor Day in which I’ve been able to do only a FEW of the things I wanted to do.  Drew and I have been working in the yard this morning … fighting with the lawn mower (currently, the lawn mower is winning. But the day ain’t over!) I have also discovered that I cannot pull the lawn mower cord without searing pain in my right shoulder … Hope that gets better!!

Anyway, this Labor Day weekend has shown me several things I’m glad to see:

1.  Dad is doing ok.  Not great, but ok.  His memory is starting to go, and that brings interesting conversations.  He still thinks I’m down here in Florence working on an HVAC quote for Ebenezer.  He forgets that I’ve been here over 16 years, with over 10 now as Senior Pastor.

2.  I CAN still go to a Clemson football game and cram into the stands with all of the other sardines.  Diana protected my left elbow at all times.  It was physically tough to do last Saturday with almost 100 degree temperatures.  But we’ve survived to this point!!

3.  I can still play Papa Bear when I need to.  Krissy was riding into Clemson from her apartment with her roommate (who had to work Saturday).  As they pulled into the parking lot, a couple of drunk frat boys opened a taxi door and shattered the mirror on the roommate’s Jeep.  We walked up as the two drunk guys were getting kind of heated.  I calmly folded my arms, got between them (very close to the drunkest idiot) and started calmly talking to them.  They calmed down like a couple of pups.  Every time I walked away, they would get riled up.  And I would walk back over, fold my arms, and get really close to the dude.  He magically calmed down every time.  I was watching to see if he wet his khakis, which I hope he did.  I never told them who I was, but they knew I knew Krissy and Megan.  That’s all they needed to know.  Little did they know I could do nothing more than fold that left arm … Again, they didn’t need to know that.  I kept them calm until the policeman got there and it worked out.

Now I sit here … A little frustrated about the morning, but glad I got to do some cool things this Labor Day weekend.