Proverbs 31:10-12 states, “An excellent wife who can find? She is far more precious than jewels. The heart of her husband trusts in her, and he will have no lack of gain. She does him good, and not harm, all the days of her life.”

I’ve got to be the luckiest man alive! At twenty-three, I really had no idea what being a husband was all about. I had no idea about what to expect from a wife. I just knew that I had found this girl that I didn’t want to be apart from. I loved her and she said she loved me. It’s kind of scary to think back and realize that after fourteen months of dating how little we really knew about each other. Looking back I now realize that I am kind of like the man that discovered oil. He knew he had something but he didn’t know its value or impact that it would bring to his life and future.

Stacy and I were married for twenty years and eight months. Her value to my life could never be calculated. I found an excellent wife. She was pure, beautiful inside and out, honest, caring, and most of all godly. She loved the Lord and it was obvious in her speech and conduct. Her character was unlike any other that I had ever met. The night I proposed to her told me a great deal about who she was and confirmed my feelings for her. I wanted to take her to the location of our first date. She was graduating from Florida College the next day and she had no idea that I was about to pop the question. Things were a little hectic around there but we finally made it out to eat. Our first date was Harbor Island where we rode paddle boats and enjoyed walking along the pier. It was my intention to recreate that night and ask for her hand. The problem was that it was getting late and curfew was at eleven. To top it all off she was a dorm monitor and it was her responsibility to check and make sure that everyone was in by curfew. It didn’t matter to her that it was her last night at FC; she wasn’t going to be late. No amount of persuading was going to convince her that it was ok. She had been given a responsibility and nothing was going to keep her from doing it. So in my frustration I just handed her the ring while she was driving and told her my plan. We are lucky that no one got hurt. That’s who she was.

She taught me how to be a better man. I am who I am because of her. I am so thankful that the Lord blessed us with two children for us to raise together. I am hurting but my heart aches for my two children, Shelby and Mitchell. Her ability as a mother amazed me. She always seemed to just know what to say and do in any situation. Dad isn’t as good as mom. Shelby was five and Mitchell two when she was diagnosed with stage 3c ovarian cancer but that didn’t stop her. She had two children to raise and, with the Lord’s blessing, she was going to do it. She had a determination and grit that I have never seen before. There were times that she was so sick, yet she made herself get up and go when most men in her condition would have just laid there and cried. I am so thankful that the Lord heard our pleas and spared her these eight and a half years for the sake of Shelby and Mitchell. They have first-hand knowledge of how great their mother was and had the blessing of having their lives shaped and molded by such a godly woman.

Hebrews 11:6 says, “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” Stacy not only believed in God; she believed God! She held firmly to what God has revealed to us in His word and never questioned or waivered in her faith. She believed Jesus when He said in John 12:48 that the “words that I have spoken will judge you in the last day.” She believed what is recorded in 2 Corinthians 5:10 that “we will all appear before the judgment seat of Christ and receive the things done in the body whether good or bad.” Despite the ups and downs of life, she stayed true to her faith because she knew it pleased God. A child of God is who she was no matter what. She was determined that nothing was going to change that fact. Cancer did not win. It couldn’t take her faith! Satan did not win. He couldn’t have her soul! Stacy won because she lives eternally with her Lord. She went to her death with her hope of Heaven fully in view because she possessed the kind of faith that God says pleases Him.

Whenever I would preach or reference Proverbs 31 she would become a little defensive at times. She was so honest, sincere, and naïve all at the same time. She didn’t realize how much she fit the description given by the king’s mother. She was so brave. She died how she lived, with grace and full of faith.

Enjoy your reward sweetheart. I’m happy for you and will miss you. I look forward to our reunion.

Your Loving Husband, Greg