Preacher Man

Yes, my grandma made my dress.

Most of you know that I am married to a preacher/pastor.  He didn't start out on that path when we met....far from it.  Did I say far?  I meant....right far.   He lived in our neighborhood.  Actually he lived there before we did, so I guess we lived in his neighborhood.  Anyway, after a time, Tommy became my oldest brother Ray's best friend.  Tommy had two younger brothers, Ricky and Jimmy.  Ricky was my brother Owen's friend and Jimmy was my youngest brother Wilbur's best friend and probably still is.  Needless to say, these boys were at our house on a daily basis....Tommy and I started dating when I was finishing ninth grade and he was finishing high school.  Yes, his friends told him he robbed the cradle.  Ninth grade was still a part of junior high back then. We dated on and off for about three years.  During that time, Tommy worked at the local grocery store, the A&P - which stood for Atlantic and Pacific something or other.  He was a stockboy and checker.  He would bring me displays from the store when they were done with them.  One time I got a big blown up cow.  I have no idea what it was for, but I had it.  He would also let me have singles of my favorite records.  They sold for around a dollar.  That was cool. 
When he left the A&P, he went to work for the gas company reading meters.  Lots of stories there about dogs and fences and guessing what the meter said because he couldn't get in the yard, etc.  One thing he learned from that job was how to get around Houston.  He knew every short cut there was.  I am not kidding.  He still has a knack for avoiding traffic in any given area of town.  (Years later, when I was in labor with our firstborn, I let my mom drive me to the hospital because he would have taken the bumpiest, pot hole filled street he could find in order to miss a red light.  Lee might have been born anywhere had I gone with him.)
The next job he had was with the U.S. Navy as a submariner.  He actually drove the sub.  He also did the dishes.  I dont think there are any traffic lights under the water, so short cuts were not necessary.  And apparantly he didn't like the task of dish washing or else he forgot how because.....
We got married while he was enlisted.  He came home on leave and we planned our wedding in two weeks.  I absolutely would never have let Jana do that.  Never.  Still, here we are forty-one years later come October 21st, more in love than ever.  He did not re-enlist so goodbye Guam, Hawaii, and all those other places that nuclear subs hang around.  Scary, huh?
The next job he had was a salesman in a sporting goods store.  Anyone remember Sporting Goods Inc?  We lived at that time in a "mother-in-law" house that sat in the Marsh's backyard.  We had great memories there and it was while we lived there that he got a job at the ARCO plant...now Lyondell-Citgo.  He started out making grease and ended up in marketing downtown.  He worked for ARCO/Lyondell for twenty years.  I know those plants are eye sores and they stink and are dirty and make the sky any color but blue, but it was a good living and we are grateful for those twenty years.
And then...(because somewhere between the Navy and the sporting goods store, Tommy became a Christian and his love for God's word grew).....he received his associate degree in divinty and went on staff at the church we were attending and stayed there for seven years, before leaving and starting the church we are in now.
So the grocery clerk turned meter reader turned submariner turned salesman turned plant worker turned associate pastor turned pastor lives happily ever after....with me.
Many things have happened in our lives over the years, some good, some not so good, but God is always good and He has been with us through it all.  He has kept us and will keep us...until His return for us or He calls us home.

I recently read some blogs that refer to the husband as "farmer" or "cowboy", describing what he does rather than who he is.  I cannot see myself typing "preacher" or "pastor" when talking about Tommy.  It would sound ridiculous.  So he will remain "Tommy" and he will remain mine.