Laura’s Life with Laura Trussell I staff writer
the MEN in my life
This month of Laura’s Life will probably be one of the
easiest columns I have written. With this being the “Man
Issue,” we are celebrating the men in our lives... the fathers, husbands, step-fathers, grandfathers, uncles, etc.
There’s many beautiful stories in this issue, but none
more beautiful to me than what my Heavenly Father, my
earthly father and my husband mean to me. It’s my time
to share about all of them.
To know me is to know that I am 100% a Daddy’s Girl,
which means I will start by telling you about my dad, Ray
Joye. BUT before I go any further, I just have to say that my
husband Jimmy knows how I feel about my dad. In fact, he
picks on me about how I think my dad can do no wrong, and
I do the same to him about his mom. It’s an ongoing joke in
our house that we have openly shared with my dad and his
mom for 11 years now. So with that being said, my dad is by
far one of the best men I know.
He was a tough disciplinarian to both my sister and I
growing up. When mom said, “You just wait until your dad
gets home,” we knew it was not going to be good, and most
of the time it wasn’t. He has been a shift worker my entire
life, which means he has had to miss several events as Lisa
and I were growing up, but has always been there when
it counted the most. Of course, when you are young, you
don’t appreciate the qualities that your parents have. But
as I have gotten older, one of the qualities that stick out
most to me about my dad is his kind heart. He does things
for people that no one ever knows about.
Sometimes the recipients of his good deeds are never even aware of who has blessed them. He is the type
of person that never expects praise or a pat on the back
for things that he does. He does it out of the goodness of
his heart with such an unselfish spirit. He is a listener and
offers wise advice. He speaks truth, even when you don’t
want to hear it. I should know this, as I’ve sat across from
him many times with him speaking exactly what I needed
to hear. If only I would have listened... life would have been
a lot easier for me.
He loved his mother (my MA-MA), and that was evident by
his respect for her up until the day she went to Heaven. He
is a provider and always has been. I remember specifically
when I was in the 3rd grade and my mom was in school at
Francis Marion University. All of my friends had jelly shoes.
My mom had classes at night, so my dad picked Lisa and I up
from school and took us to every store in Marion to find jelly
shoes... NONE! He then drove us to Florence, and we both
came home that night with pink jellies. That’s what kind of
dad Lisa and I have been blessed with. He always finds time
for the little things. He goes above and beyond for his family.
He loves my mom, and he loves his girls. Most importantly,
he loves Jesus. There is no way I would be where I am without my dad. He has my heart and he always will.
Jimmy is alot like my dad in so many ways. As I’ve mentioned in past issues, we have been married for 11 years.
There is no one that knows me better than my husband. He
knows the good, the bad and the ugly, and still chooses to
spend each day with me. He is the provider in our family,
and he is a loving and strong role model for our three boys.
He is, like my dad, the tough disciplinarian in our family.
He loves to surprise me with inexpensive gifts just to let
me know he is thinking of me. He loves his mom so much,
which is one of the qualities I love most about him. He always tells our boys how important it is to love their mom.
At times, I will hear him cue them to tell me I look pretty.
It makes my heart melt just thinking about it! He IS a good
friend and HAS good friends. He does life
with me. We have had peaks and valleys, but
NEVER through any of the valleys have I ever
felt that he didn’t love me. He loves the Lord
and because of this, our foundation shall
not be broken. He is a good man and has my
heart, and he always will.
Now last (but not least) - my Heavenly Father, my King
of Kings, my Prince of Peace. Because of this one Father, I
have all that I have. I am not speaking materialistically, I am
speaking about a love and light in my life that I only have
because of Him. Without Him, I would not have a Ray Joye
or a Jimmy Trussell in my life. 1 Corinthians 12: “For just as
woman came from man, so man comes through woman.
But all things come from God.” If I had not followed His guidance in certain situations, I would not be where I am today.
He offers wise counsel. He is the Provider of everything. He
has a kind heart, but yet is a strong disciplinarian. He sets
boundaries for us. He loved his mother Mary.
It simply amazes me when I look at the similarities that
my earthly father and my husband portray, and to know
that they could only be God breathed. Only God is perfect,
but when He gave me my dad and my husband, I think
He chose the perfect men for me. My God has my heart,
and He always will! This Father’s Day, celebrate the man
in your life. Let him know how much he means! How many
traits does he have that reflect God? My hope for you is
that he has MANY!
“Only God is perfect, but when He gave me my dad and
my husband, I think He chose the perfect men for me.
My God has my heart, and He always will!”
54
June 2014
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