A Wise Son, a Grateful Mom
"My son, if your heart is wise, then my heart will be glad indeed." Proverbs 23:15 (NIV)
Our youngest son Daniel got married this weekend in Virginia. Family and friends literally traveled from across the country (Oregon to South Carolina, Alabama to Ohio, and everywhere in between) to be a part of Daniel and Olivia's wedding. James Bruce also got to be a part of the festivities, primarily because our adult children, especially Meredith's husband Clay and our dear friends Coach Mike and Daria Howard, took care of James Bruce during the wedding, reception and rehearsal dinner. Many of you were praying for us as we traveled 24 hours by car between Wednesday and Sunday nights. We felt every one of them. James Bruce traveled well in the car; slept well on the road; and didn't have a seizure while we were gone. Overall his behavior was good and when it wasn't someone else besides me handled it.
Daniel is our fourth child. He was actually a twin, but we lost the other baby early in my pregnancy. From then on, Daniel was a high-risk pregnancy. From the moment he was born, however, his Daddy called him our "Joy Boy." Daniel made having kids fun again. Though four years younger than James Bruce, Daniel functioned as an older brother, pushing and pulling James Bruce along, encouraging him to grow up as much as he could. For almost 30 years, our extended family also called Daniel our Joy Boy.
Throughout his life, by God's grace, Daniel has brought us and countless others, much joy. His high school classmates called him "Mr. Vestavia." At his wedding reception, I was overwhelmed and quit counting as different people came to me with the same question, "Are you Daniel's Mom?" Each one then proceeded to tell me what Daniel had meant in their lives:
An older couple in their seventies who lived next door called him "neighbor." "Unusual for a young person," the wife said.
Another Millennial called him "Bible study and small group leader"
A groomsman called him "loyal, faithful, and kind"
A Nigerian co-worker who serves as one of Daniel's bosses called him "a hard worker"
An Indian co-worker called him both "diligent, intelligent, and perfectionist"
An ex-Marine in his early fifties and former housemate drove from North Carolina with his wife and called him "friend"
His landlord commended Daniel for "outstanding character."
Our family calls him "son, brother, grandson, nephew, uncle, and cousin"
Each person gave me a small glimpse into Daniel's life in Washington over the last six years. Work, church, and small group discipleship have been integral to building community into Daniel's life. The wonderful diversity that I witnessed Saturday night at Daniel's wedding reception- all ages, stages, races and genders- was a picture of the Gospel of Christ. Paul writing his first pastoral letter to the church at Galatia wrote these words, "There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus." (Galatians 3:28) Paul’s words capture the essence of the gospel: diversity with Unity, a wonderful picture of true community, and reciprocal rootedness that allows people to flourish together.
My heart rejoiced with each person's Daniel story. I recalled those difficult days of his pregnancy, the uncertainty of having another child after having a special needs child. I remembered one doctor advising us to have an abortion with Daniel and knowing that, no matter how inconvenient or unplanned, it simply wasn't an option for us as Christians. Sanctity of Life Sunday is this Sunday, January 21, 2018- Daniel's 30th birthday. I still shudder to think of all we- and many others- would have missed without his life.
My heart is still full tonight as I think of how many people have invested in Daniel's life. Teachers, baseball and football coaches, Sunday School teachers, discipleship leaders, Camp Maranook staff, mentors, Briarwood and Lakeside Baptist in Auburn, engineering professors, and countless others. Thank you to each and every one of you who prayed for us, not just on this trip, but through the years as we juggled athletics, academics, and special needs parenting. Thank you most of all, to God, for giving us the incredible privilege and blessing of being Daniel's parents. Daniel chose a James Taylor song for our Mother/Son dance and truer words were never spoken: "How Sweet It Is to be Loved by You."
Amen and Amen!
Donna