(Hey! be sure to check out the photo gallery at the end of this post!)
I have to admit it. This will be my favorite blog to write because it's about two of the most special people on this earth, Tony and Rhonda. Every now and then, God graciously and lovingly gives you a gift that you just can't put a value on and these two people are one of those gifts.
I have to admit it. This will be my favorite blog to write because it's about two of the most special people on this earth, Tony and Rhonda. Every now and then, God graciously and lovingly gives you a gift that you just can't put a value on and these two people are one of those gifts.
When God took us from the dairy farm, he dropped us right in the middle of the city in Springfield, MO. Granted, Springfield is not what some would consider big city. After all, until the 1990s, the skyline's tallest structure was the feed mill in the center of town but to us, it was a city none the less. Along with my lack of a sense of direction, I also am terrible at US geography. All I understood was that we were 18 hours from family, in the big city where people shoot at each other, all alone, somewhere in the middle of the country, with barely enough to eat and tuition bills pouring in.
Even though we couldn't afford it, Darrell would drive me to the country on Sunday afternoons just to smell the cow manure and corn silage. On one of those drives, we found a little country church and decided to attend the next week. That is where we met this precious couple. After church, they approached us and invited us to their house for lunch. It didn't even take one stomach growl for us to say yes. To our delight we followed them even further into the country to a small angus farm. And yes, they fed us steak, homemade biscuits, and fresh baked pie for desssert. It was as if they knew were coming. We spent the afternoon walking among the cows and watching Tony push our little girl on a tire swing that hung from a large tree in their front yard.
Tony and Rhonda's youngest son had recently left home to go to college and they were feeling the effects of an empty nest. God putting us together was a match made in heaven. We spent many weekends in their "upper room", the room above the garage, where they had beds for all of us. According to Tony, "Ya'll saved my life. I was lost, but having you guys here and being able to play with your daughter filled a huge void in my life." We could easily say the same thing about them. They became our "family" in Missouri. I know these sweet people were God's provision, especially for me. I will be eternally grateful for them and I've already told Darrell to skip the beach next vacation, we're heading west.
The sunrise on the prairie is something you don't want to miss. Soon after I would hear Rhonda banging around the kitchen as she fixed us a southern style breakfast-fresh eggs from the chickens in her yard, sausage, sausage gravy, and freshly baked biscuits. There's just something magical about her biscuits which she serves with homemade jams & jellies.
After breakfast I would sneak out to the sunroom to have my devotions. Once I went to the front porch but she has a toad that likes to sit on the porch chair. He'll sit there for days until he gets hungry and then he'll go eat and come back. He was not hungry the week we were there, so I had to go somewhere else. LOL! I called him the doorman.
When Rhonda isn't growing all the delicious food she serves us, she quilts! The first thing I saw when I pulled back the bedspread on the guest room bed was a handmade quilt. There is just something about a handmade quilt that says you are welcome and loved. I slept every night feeling like I was covered in love. Rhonda showed me all the quilts she had made over the years. She has made one for each of her children and grandchildren and is now making quilts for great-grandchildren, some of which she may never see. One of my favorites is the chicken themed quilt she has on her couch. I was silently hoping that I could have one of her quilts some day when she said, don't leave without picking one out. You're family too! I chose a double wedding ring in blues, reds, and pinks. It looks lovely on my bed. I will treasure it forever!
Although I call those years "my time spent in the state of misery," Tony and Rhonda made it feel more like home than I could have ever imagined it could be. Their love and care for us meant so much to this homesick-how will I ever be a pastor's wife-where in the world is Missouri-girl.
They say you can never go home but walking into their house after not seeing them for 30 years was like coming home and it seemed as if no time had passed at all. They are just as I remember them, genuine, loving, generous and fun! In the places I have been since leaving MO, the genuine part means the most to me. There's a stability and trust I feel around them that I don't have anywhere else. That's hard to find in today's world. Even though they no longer live in Springfield where we made so many memories, I have come to the conclusion that anywhere Tony and Rhonda are is a place I can call home. Many people agree that relationships are our greatest asset. When it comes to Tony and Rhonda, I have to agree. They are truly one of my life's greatest treasures.
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