Chapter 1 Interconnections

It is an interesting answer to the question: How could I find myself a friend of a man like JW?

The chain of connection began years ago before I was married, but after I had been born again and gone through my personal fig tree experience. I had taken a job as a contract instrument flight instructor for IQD at the home of Army Aviation at Fort Rucker, Alabama. The instrument portion of Army Flight School is the toughest part to successfully complete. I came close to flunking out of flight school during instruments, and now I was going to become an instrument instructor. That experience, no doubt, saved my life years later when I went IIMC x2 as an EMS pilot in my latter flying career.

Soon after getting settled in my new residence I met Kenneth Ownby who is Dolly Parton's first cousin. I saw a picture of Dolly's dad once in a magazine and my new friend Kenneth Ownby was a splitting image of him. Because of Kenneth I met DeWayne and Penny Langham who were at that time a young married couple and they love the Lord. Kenneth had led DeWayne to the Lord when they served together in the Army.

Sometime soon after getting acquainted and becoming friends with these three I saw for the first time Buddy Morgan. Although I now consider Buddy a brother in the Lord, he is far, far, far from being anything that would delight the eyes. My flesh said, "Yuck! Stay far away from that!" when my eyes were first laid on him. I was guilty in my heart of the sin of partiality discussed in the beginning of the 2nd chapter of James. Later that afternoon I went over to DeWayne and Penny's house to visit. Who did they have in their living room witnessing to? Buddy Morgan!!! Buddy and I then became friends. You can't tell me God doesn't have a sense of humor.

Years later, after I had gone to work flying EMS, Buddy moved to the same town and started a roofing company. He hired JW's baby brother, "Joe". Buddy liked bragging that he had a friend that flew for the EMS company I worked for. When Buddy bragged about me, Joe said, "Well, my sister flies for them as a flight nurse. You need to bring me over there to meet him." So, I became acquainted with Joe. This acquaintanceship with Joe has its own set of stories, but to cut to the chase on how I got acquainted with Jerry I'll skip most of those.

I have always believed that there is still hope for a man as long as they are still alive. I have seen God tackle some pretty hard cases close to my own life specifically my best high school buddy and my favorite cousin on my Dad's side of the family. Plus I know the work that God has done in my own life. I also enjoy listening to the many stories thatUnshackled tells of changed lives. Anyhow when the time prior to this most recent involvement with Joe came to an end, I looked at his mom and told her, "Ms. Rose, I have always thought that there was hope for a man as long as they are still alive, but Joe makes me wonder."

The events that caused me to reestablish contact with Joe is a story all its own that I'll save for another time. Regardless, here I am having involvement with a family most normal people would shudder to consider and probably judge as very foolish for those who do possibly even questioning the motives. Yet Jesus said, "Wisdom is vindicated by her deeds." Matthew 11:19 NASB