I found out Michael had never owned or read a Bible. Wow!
He got one there and at lunch would read out of it, sometimes.
He and I started hosting a weekly community group in our home every Monday night.
The group formed in January of 2009 and we met all year. Our group was five couples, all childless, but one and then they dropped so it was the eight of us and we bonded and talked and shared stories. I prayed and led us weekly in discussion about the days prior sermon. I asked a lot of questions and surprised even myself about how much I knew.
We grew as a couple and as a group.
In October, Michael and another guy in our group named, Larry decided to get baptized.
They each made a short video to introduce themselves and to tell a little about the walk that led them to Christ and this day of public declaration by baptism that they were in fact followers of Jesus. In Michaels’, he mentions me and the fact I read my Bible every day but I never bugged him about it so I was slow to get the impact.
We were still living separate lives, except now we regularly attended church and we volunteered to cook breakfast for the church volunteers, so at least once a month on a Saturday night we’d prepare and plan breakfast for the other volunteers. It turned into a fight most of the time but by the end of service on Sunday we were holding hands and saying “sorry.”
I was busy with life and friends and the store and my Leadership Cobb functions. I was out several nights a week with one of the above and when possible Michael would join but it furthered a separateness in our already separate lifestyle.
My days had a strict parameter to them and I required it so I could fully function and my schedule was unbending.
I had a way I needed Michael to be and that was unbending as well.
Of course all that crumbled when I became sick and then sicker.
We share the bathroom all the time now and pretty much do everything together.
He is my caretaker and I have relied on him for surviving, I have relied on him for everything really. The bills, the dogs, all of my appointments, medications, meals, my existence in all forms require Michaels presence.
I have thanked him, of course.
I even gave him an out when it all started going badly.
Told him he could walk, he didn’t sign up for this, he could go with no strings and no guilt.