From Wows to Vows

What a great day of worship! It was so exciting being able to worship as a family together this morning. I had a lot of people come up and ask about different songs or the videos we used, so I thought I would just post them all. Enjoy!

Worship songs:

  • My Savior Lives – New Life Worship
  • Not to Us – Chris Tomlin
  • Here is Our King – David Crowder Band
  • Glorious One – Steve Fee
  • My Savior’s Love – Passion
  • Amazed – Jared Anderson
  • How Great is Our God – Chris Tomlin

That’s My King – this video (a North Side favorite), can be bought at worshiphousemedia.com. The video contains snippets from a message preached my S.M. Lockridge, a preacher who has gone one to be home. There are different legends about this sermon. Some say this was on the spot. Others say it was rehearsed. Regardless, it’s amazing.

Here’s the video to view:

Robertson McQuilken: The video that Jeff used in his message was about Roberstson McQuilken. Here’s some text from McQuilken to set up the video.

As a young man, Robertson McQuilken dreamed of becoming president of Columbia Bible College in Columbia, South Carolina. He admired his father, who had held this position, and wanted one day to take his place. At age 57, when he had realized that dream, he noticed his wife to begin to dim out. She was coming down with Alzheimer’s disease. In a matter of months, she not only lost the memory of much of their life together, she was unable even to recognise Robertson as her husband.
“Anyone can take care of your wife, but not anybody can be the president of Columbia.” After all they would often add, she didn’t even recognise him when he came into the room. But for us, we would trust the Lord to work a miracle in Muriel if he so desired, or work a miracle in me if he did not. Gradually, reluctantly, she gave up public ministry.
Muriel never knew what was happening to her, though occasionally when there was a reference to Alzheimer’s on TV she would muse aloud, ‘I wonder if I’ll ever have that?’ It did not seem painful for her, but it was a slow dying for me to watch the vibrant, creative, articulate person I knew and loved gradually dimming out.
I told them that when the time came that Muriel needed me full-time, she would have me.
Should I put the kingdom of God first, ‘hate’ my wife and, for the sake of Christ and the kingdom, arrange for her to go into an institution? Trusted, lifelong friends -wise and godly – urged me to do this.
‘Muriel would become accustomed to the new environment quickly.’ Would she? Would anyone love her at all, let alone love her as I do? I had often seen the empty, listless faces of those lined up in wheelchairs along the corridors of such places, waiting, waiting for the fleeting visit of some loved one. In such an environment, Muriel would be tamed only with drugs or bodily restraints, of that I was confident. To put God first means that all other responsibilities he gives are first, too. Sorting out responsibilities that seem to conflict, however, is a tricky business.
She is such a delight to me. I don’t have to care for her, I get to.
Muriel cannot speak in sentences now, only in phrases and words, and often words that make little sense: ‘no’ when she means ‘yes’, for example. But she can say one sentence, and she says it often: ‘I love you’. She not only says it, she acts it. The board arranged for a companion to stay in our home so I could go daily to the office. During those two years it became increasingly difficult to keep Muriel at home. As soon as I left, she would go out after me. With me, she was content; without me, she was distressed, sometimes terror-stricken.
The walk to the college is a mile round trip. She would make that trip as many as ten times a day. Sometimes at night, when I helped her undress, I found bloody feet. When I told our family doctor, he choked up. ‘Such love,’ he said simply. Then, after a moment, ‘I have a theory that the characteristics developed across the years come out at times like these’. I wish I loved God like that – desperate to be near him at all times. Thus she teaches me, day by day. As she needed more and more of me, I wrestled daily with the question of who gets me full time – Muriel or Columbia Bible College and Seminary? Dr Tabor advised me not to make any decision based on my desire to see Muriel stay contented. ‘Make your plans apart from that question. Whether or not you can be successful in your dreams for the college and seminary or not, I cannot judge, but I can tell you now, you will not be successful with Muriel.’
When the time came, the decision was firm. It took no great calculation. It was a matter of integrity. Had I not promised, 42 years before, in sickness and in health… till death do us part’?
This was no grim duty to which I stoically resigned, however. It was only fair. She had, after all, cared for me for almost four decades with marvellous devotion; now it was my turn. And such a partner she was! If I took care of her for 40 years, I would never be out of her debt.
“She doesn’t even know you.” — “Yes,” he said, “but I know her.”
Robertson tried to explain his decision to his supporters and critics. He admitted that his wife didn’t know who he was. But that wasn’t the point. The really important thing was that he still knew who she was, and that he saw in her the same lovely woman he had married those many years ago. He said: “And I promised to be there for her ‘until death do us part.’”

Here’s the video with his response: