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Posted on Mar 30, 2012

50+ years with unshakeable faith

Imagine the last food item you possess is a box of macaroni & cheese, and there are six hungry children to feed? And while praying for a miracle, someone pulls up with a trunk load of food….

Imagine encountering eight separate flat tires (yes, the vehicle has only four wheels) on a 300-mile trip, with a van full of eight people? And never deviating from your goal because you committed to being there….

Imagine being asked to move from a mid-sized city in Ohio to a small-town in Alabama (talk about culture shock!) to start a church mission? And then immediately selling your business and moving your entire family….

Imagine then receiving a phone call just before Christmas to ask if you would pick up the whole family and move to Goldsboro, North Carolina to support a church mission there? And arriving in Goldsboro by New Years….

Add to that a spirit of limitless joyfulness and enthusiasm, with an unshakeable faith in God.

There is only one couple I’ve met who has earned this reputation: Gerald & Shirley Herron.

The Value of Faith

Gerald Herron was an unpaid, ordained minister with the New Apostolic Church for the majority of his married life. He worked whatever jobs he could find – or started his own companies – to support his family, and his ministry. He was living his faith.

As a differentiating value, Faith means complete trust or confidence in someone or something; strong belief in God. The Herron’s lived this value everyday.

However, to have complete trust in God requires something unique – letting go of control. You must rely fully on God to provide.

Note that possessing a strong faith doesn’t mean you are a weak person. Quite the contrary. It allows you to apply all of your energy and focus to the task at hand. There are no wasted efforts on trying to maintain control and finding solutions to your own problems.

Strangely, it sounds rather liberating. And it’s nice if you don’t have to live such a faith alone.

The Perfect Match

At this point, it should be clear that Gerald Herron was zealous about sharing his faith. He lived it everyday, and didn’t let daily issues stand in his way.

So what kind of woman could support such a man? She is a rare one indeed. And her name is Shirley.

Gerald often remarked that before he met Shirley, he made the following prayer: “Lord, if you’ll give me the right wife, I’ll gladly serve you.” Today it’s clearly evident that the Lord did His part in the deal, and Gerald did his part.

God provided the perfect match for Gerald, in Shirley.

As this special couple began approaching their 50th anniversary, Gerald often stated “Shirley deserves a gold medal for putting up with me all this time.” So at their 50th wedding anniversary celebration, in June 2009, Gerald made good on his promise. He presented Shirley with a gold medal, just like the Olympic athletes win.

And just as only a few athletes win a gold medal, so too is the gold medal a perfect symbol for the rarity of unshakable faith displayed by this married couple of 50+ years. There is much we can learn from such an exceptional couple.

 

What couples do you know demonstrate unshakable faith?

 

*This post is in honor of Gerald Herron, who passed away yesterday (March 29, 2012). He was 78.

 

2 Comments

  1. Every word you said is true. When I think about the Herrons, I think, “I will never be like them,” because they ARE so rare. I was so blessed to know him and watch him in action. An exmple that I will never forgot and only HOPE I can one day be half as faithful as he, and Shirley! Love them both very much!

    • You’re spot on, Brandy. The Herron’s are rare, and a great example for all of us. Thanks for your comment!