Give and Take.

Wow!  Another amazing weekend full of fun and busyness, family and friends.  And lots of football!  I’ve been watching football for as long as I can remember and you would think that I would have learned or could be able to see the various “holding” calls or penalties but I’m always having to lean over to the guy next to me to ask, “what was that call for?” or “why were we penalized 5 yards?”

And watching the Texans/Dolphins game today, I was struggling with who to root for – my Texans home team or the young rookie (former Aggie) Dolphin quarterback.  Ryan Tannehill was on the field, playing tough.  One play that I remember, Tannehill was sacked and lost a few yards but then the very next play, he makes it up by throwing a long, perfectly executed pass for a nice gain.  Give and Take.  That’s how the game went today.

And I’m finding that is how life goes sometimes.  I’ve had a pretty emotional week.  My sweet 4-year-old friend had an important surgery to remove the cancerous tumor from his body.  His surgery began early on Thursday morning and finished up early Friday morning. It was a long and grueling 18+ hour surgery but and we sure rejoiced Friday knowing that that awful mass was out of his body!  God gave us a long, long day filled with anxiousness and emotion and then He took away the tumor!  Praise God for He is so so good. 

On Saturday, God gave us a beautiful, cool, breezy day in Texas .  We were up at the farm and everything just looked so green and lovely.  Honestly, a little like an Instagram photo that had been all doctored up.  God gave us a new baby calf.  God sent a red cardinal to fly past me (as He does every time I drive down County Road 274) to remind me of my amazing Grandfather whose favorite bird was the cardinal.  God gave me time to spend with my parents, my daughter, my sister and my niece. 

And then on Saturday early evening, God took away my dear friend, Tom Robinson. 

Tom was a man who RADIATED love, joy and goodness.  He gave the best hugs and made you feel as if you were the most amazing person in the entire world.  He treated me like a little sister.  And I adored my big brother. 

Tom managed to put together the picture-perfect family by not being picture-perfect.  And I mean this is a good way.  Tom was real.  He was genuine.  There was nothing fake about him.  What you saw was what you got.  And it was such a good thing. 

Tom and his beautiful wife, Cathy, have been role-models for me.  As parents, as friends, as Christians.  They always have a smile to share and always carry happy hearts.  The children they raised are equally as lovely.  Two good, loving Christian children who both recently became engaged and are both making wedding plans. 

Tom loved his family and his friends.  And Tom loved flying airplanes.  His daughter recently asked him “how the wedding fund was” to which he replied, “I’m flying it!”  Tom sold his plane and was taking it for one last spin before he turned it over to the new owner when his plane crashed during takeoff early Saturday evening.  I remember when we were all together at their lakehouse earlier this summer, I asked Cathy, “aren’t you a nervous wreck when he leaves to fly those planes” and she told me “No, I’m not because he’s doing what he loves.”

Tom loved all of the “toys” at the lakehouse.  The boat, the jet skis, that super cool plane that lands on water, etc  We were teasing about it all and how his lakehouse was the ultimate “adult” summer camp and he jokingly said “Yep, I really think I’m living the dream.”  How amazing is that?  He was alright.  He was living the dream and he loved sharing it with everyone else.  God gave Tom that amazing life.  But as fun and cool and awesome his life on Earth was, I have to believe God took it away so that He could give Tom something even more amazing in Heaven.  I know Tom is up there, right this very minute, throwing the biggest party with his bestie, Jay.  and I'm betting Tom, the ultimate entertainer, probably had styros made that read "Jesus Juice".

God gave me Tom Robinson to know, to love, to show me how to be a friend.  To show me how to raise a family.  God gave me a friendship that I’ll never forget.  Cherished, precious memories that can never be taken away. 

Rest in peace, sweet Tom.  

xoxox