Dedication Day
“They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord,
for the display of his splendor.”
Isaiah 61:3 (NIV)
Last Thursday was an amazing day at Big Oak Ranch. Opening ceremonies for Twin Oaks, the newest community at the Big Oak Ranch, were held on the campus of the Boys’ Ranch just outside Southside, Alabama. Twin Oaks will provide ten additional homes for another 60 boys to receive the gift of home and family.
The spring weather was perfect for the large outdoor ceremony. The sun was shining; there wasn’t a cloud in the sky; and the morning spring air was cool enough to be comfortable in the afternoon sun. I looked around for some familiar faces, but only recognized a few Boys Ranch House Moms from the recent BOR Mom’s Retreat. (I wrote about that here.) To be honest, except for being a BOR Auxiliary member, I really wasn’t sure why I was invited to the event.
Brodie Croyle, Executive Director of Big Oak Ranch, cleared up my confusion as he began the dedication ceremony by saying, “You’re all here today because you are someone who has made the Twin Oaks community possible.” Brodie then began to thank the:
Donors who gave money to build the homes
Builders and suppliers who worked so hard to make them amazing
Folks who bought Amazon registry items to fully furnish the homes
People who donated goods and services.
I kept racking my brain trying to remember, “What did I give to make this happen?” And then it hit me: Mama’s money from the sale of her farm. We sold her property last year after Mama’s death. When I calculated my tithe from the sale’s proceeds, Bruce and I first completed our annual Briarwood missions pledge. I then divided the rest of the monies between my two favorite charities: Rainbow Omega and Big Oak Ranch. My invitation now made sense. I had been blessed to be a blessing.
Throughout the rest of the afternoon as I ate lunch with other BOR donors; interacted with Ranch parents and staff members; and met boys living on the Ranch, I couldn’t help but smile. My Mama, an elementary school secretary for 27 years, loved working with children. Our family always said Mama should have been a schoolteacher, but as one of seven kids raised during the Great Depression, she only received a high school education. On Thursday I couldn’t help but think how pleased Mama would have been to know that some of her hard-earned money was being used to provide some children with a home and family. Like Big Oak, Mama believed that every child deserves a chance.
At the afternoon dedication ceremony for the Shipley Beatty Home, Holle Family Foundation Home, and the 1st Special Forces Group, United States Army Home, I sat on the same row with five of the residents of the Shipley Beatty Home. All five young teenage men were well dressed, well behaved, and athletes. I could tell just by looking at them. One young man had especially broad, muscular shoulders like my husband Bruce and my oldest son Robert.
“Do you play football?” I asked.
“Yes, Ma’am,” he answered quietly without really looking at me.
“What position?” I asked.
He looked questioningly at me before responding, “Defensive end.”
“Are you a good pass rusher off the edge?” I inquired.
“Yes, Ma’am,” he smiled before finally laughing and shaking his head.
I went down the row, asking each young man what sport and position he played. All five boys- three sophomores and two freshmen- currently play football at Westbrook Christian School. Two of them already physically look like they could be potential college prospects. I finally told them my secret for spotting good athletes: I have over 40 years experience of being a football coach’s wife!
After the dedication ceremony, we toured the Shipley Beatty Home. I was impressed with the excellence, the craftsmanship, and the quality of the home and its furnishings. But I was absolutely blown away by the order, discipline, work ethic, and organization of the BOR staff and residents.
Brodie Croyle is right when he says, “Discipline is a counter-cultural superpower!” Indeed it is.
As I left the Ranch and headed for home, the lyrics from an old hymn suddenly came to my mind and heart:
Little is much when God is in it
Labor not for wealth or fame
There’s a crown and you can win it
If you go in Jesus’ name.
God is still in the multiplication business. He takes our small loaves and fishes and uses us to feed the multitudes. What do you have to give and where are you investing in things that grow?
A short video of the Twin Oaks Dedication Day festivities and more information about Big Oak Ranch can be found here.