Leading by Example

There's a story about the McGruders that has always intrigued me. Maybe it's been more intriguing being that I loved them as much as I did, but I think it would have intrigued me even if I had not been the fan that I was / am. Priscilla speaks of it in her book - and I'll leave out most of the details that are given in a dedicated chapter to this topic, just so maybe it'll peak your interest enough to purchase it. And you can find it HERE!

Before I get to the topic, let me say, I was fortunate enough to get to watch some of Priscilla's funeral online before the site crashed and was able to hear what Bro. Nathaniel Wilson had to say regarding Bro. McGruder's care of her during the last phase of her life. Bro. Wilson mentioned (and I paraphrase) that Carroll McGruder had set a very high bar for others to follow in his care of Priscilla - one that most men would be unable to live up to - to make sure she was as comfortable as possible in her last weeks. As a former Hospice nurse myself, I understand very well the level of care that is required during this phase of life and it is very hard work that takes more perseverance than what many family members - especially husbands - can mentally or physically give. That is not saying that husbands cannot do this job well, but those men are not found very frequently. Sometimes the emotion of the life changes are so overwhelming, it is very hard and sometimes impossible, to find the strength to do what must be done. Hearing these comments from Bro. Wilson, I had no doubt what he meant by it. And after hearing this, though I needed no convincing, Bro. McGruder's character went up a several notches in my "book".

The reason this detail I just referred to is important, is because the topic that has always intrigued me about the McGruders is their marriage. They have always appeared to work well as a team and their affection towards one another was always obvious. If you ask him, he was her biggest fan. I always paid special attention to this because I was always captivated by the fact they had known each other for such a short period of time before saying "I do." Again, the specifics can be found in the book - in the chapter called "It's Too Good To Be True." But by a short period of time, we're talking less than 3-4 weeks of knowing each other. While I'm completely taken by this piece of information, and wouldn't necessarily recommend it to most single people I know, they were convinced they were God's intended for each other, and made it work. In addition to making this marriage work, there were two young children which Priscilla immediately became the mother of. She also speaks of their bond and her love for them.

Therefore, I have always been amazed at how awesome a responsibility she assumed and how confident they both were in knowing God's will and regardless of how tough it might or may not have been, they made it work. It would definitely be safe to say, they were tremendous leaders on this subject because of their example....all you had to do was take notice. It's almost a plague these days the way Christian marriages are crumbling in the church world. If we are looking for role models in a Christian marriage, here's a good place to start. A commitment was a commitment - regardless of the circumstances, and they definitely had some circumstances.

I'm grateful I had the opportunity to watch such a couple lead by example - showing us all what a great marriage looks like.