The End of a Love Story
I am so thankful for your prayers for my family and me this past year. It has been challenging, but with God’s help, we made it this far. If you weren’t aware. In February of 2024, my husband was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. It’s one of the tough ones because it is seldom caught early. Michael tried everything offered, but his body finally succumbed to the disease on December 19, 2024.
I never expected to become a widow at this age. And I never knew the pain and sorrow involved in grief. Thank you for being patient with me as I walk this journey. I wanted to share a few things I have written over the past months as I can.
I wrote Michael and my love story and shared it at his Celebration of Life. I would like to share that here now.
Michael wanted us to play our wedding song. At first, I didn’t think I could bear it. But the more I thought about it, it felt was appropriate for everyone to know our love story. I selected this song before Michael and I met. One day, we were at the Christian bookstore looking at accompaniment tapes. He pulled out this song and showed me the title. I said, “Yes! Read the words.” It was us to the T.
Song: Only God Could Love You More
The Days of Our Love Story
One 1980 day at a small college in Kentucky, a young girl sat in the chapel balcony. As she watched the students file in, she wondered, “Was her future husband among the students below?” Then she heard an audible voice that said, “You will marry a widower with children.” She looked, but no one was around her, so she tucked this away for safekeeping and didn’t mention it to anyone.
Fast forward to another day in 1988, Central Church of the Nazarene in Columbia, SC was calling a new pastor, John and Charlotte Sanders. Again, the young woman was sitting towards the back of the church. The girls were a-flutter because the Sanders had a young son. The young woman rolled her eyes and thought they should grow up. Again, out of nowhere, a voice came, “Their son is not for you, but they will be instrumental for you in finding your soulmate.” Again, no one was around who could have said this, so she tucked this information away with the other one.
One February day, an announcement came. Charlotte’s hometown pastor’s family was involved in a fatal accident. The wife and mother was killed instantly, and his daughter passed away two days later from her injuries.
Mandy didn’t know this family, but she began to pray for them. She didn’t think about the “revelations” she had been given, only that a man and his two sons were suffering with great grief.
Our Courtship
Another day came a few months later. Mandy was dating a young man. But Charlotte kept saying day after day, “Don’t get too serious. You haven’t met Michael yet.” You see, Charlotte had been given a word from the Lord that she should introduce Mandy to Michael.
In August, Charlotte was going to Barnesville, GA. She invited Mandy to ride along. She even arranged for Mandy to sing that Sunday morning in church. Mandy agreed to go because she thought it would get Charlotte to stop bothering her about this “Michael”. (Who must be really old – he had teenagers.)
Little did Michael know, but the whole church knew the reason Mandy was there. And that was all it took. Michael was Twitter-painted from the start. On the very day that Mandy said, “I love you, too”, Michael dropped to his knees and proposed. And three months later, Mandy and Michael were married! Their wedding song told the story of how God brought them together as they sang to each other on that December day.
Even though people asked if they really knew what they were doing, those “revelations” confirmed God’s will. And for good measure, God gave Mandy a verse: Revelations 3:8 “See, I have set before you an open door that no one can shut.”
Love Story Begins
And so the days of their love began. I could share so many days.
There’s the day while on their honeymoon; they called home and found that his son, Brian, had chickenpox. Michael was a little concerned because he had never had chickenpox.
And then the day their little boy, Brett, was born in Chattanooga. Or five years later when their little dark-haired girl, Mikaela, came brought so much joy to them in Savanah.
They had several moving days to new churches, across the state and across the country.
They had vacation days when Michael typically spent the first day or two sick.
And days at home making puzzles. Well, Mom and the kids worked on the puzzle. He “stole” one piece so that he could finish it.
Who could forget the day he sneezed so loud it scared the little ducklings in the backyard, and they took off for the pond?
There were vacation days and sitting-at-home days with stories to tell. And what about all the days of their ministry working side by side? As their children grew, they also got involved, making a great team for the Lord. For 25 years, they worked and loved side by side.
In Sickness and in Health
Eventually, the day came when health slowed their love story down, and retirement was inevitable. – he served the Lord full-time for 40 years – that’s 14,611 days!
And then the day they learned the news, Michael had cancer. The prognosis was not good. The days of their love became precious. They asked God for healing, but in whatever way would bring Him the most glory. They chose Diamond Rio’s song, One More Day as their theme. Each day, they thanked God for one more day, praying for just one more day.
Michael valiantly fought the cancer, enduring twelve biweekly days of chemotherapy. Then, five more days of radiation treatments. But the cancer would not be stopped. Michael wanted to make Christmas Day and New Year’s Day (our anniversary), but his weak body had no more fight.
God had given them 303 more days, and they were grateful.
Now we count the days until we will see him again at heaven’s gate. Michael will meet them there, show them around heaven, and worship together at Jesus’s feet. What A Day That Will Be.
Mandy
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Pastor’s Wife (retired) & Chronic Pain Warrior blogs about how to make it through anything by relating her own life experiences to her writing. She is passionate about her love for the Lord and desires to spread that passion to others. She has a great desire to encourage women who are following behind her.
Such a beautiful love story, and true gift from God. Thank you for sharing, dear Mandy. I know you feel so blessed to tell it, and we feel so blessed to read it. Love and hugs and continued prayers for you.