Chronicles of Trudy and Robert

Hello Dear Friends,

Welcome to what I expect to be the last installment of The Robert and Trudy Love Story...at least for the "blog" universe. I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for your interest and affirmation and prayerful support over the last year. Writing our story has been a therapeutic "God-send" of which you have been a key participant. Though I live to be a hundred, I shall not cease to grieve the earthly absence of the wife of my youth. Even so, I know that I feel I am emotionally and mentally transitioning from "Reflection" to "What's Next." And so shall it be.

I have been blessed with the richness of Trudy's unrelenting love and for that I will be eternally grateful. Her legacy will simply not be forgotten...not by me, her children, her four grandchildren, extended family, and scores of others. Hopefully, the memoirs of this blog will serve to preserve the epic grandeur of our life together to all who have loved us and perhaps to some who will yet follow in our family line...even to generations far into the future.

CHRONICLES OF ROBERT AND TRUDY: CHAPTER 23

Trudy had yet another life changing upheaval to add to her burgeoning collection of adventures in being Robert's wife! Robert had been doing quite well in his profession as a Pharmaceutical sales representative. In fact, Robert had been presented with the prestigious national "Rookie of the Year" sales award with for his company. And his second year had been equally rewarding as Robert was in a very select, elite group of people being trained for managerial positions. In fact, that career advancing program was only a few months from completion, when some leadership from the Alpine First Baptist Church began to talk with Robert about becoming the Minister of Education, Administration, and Evangelism for the church. Whoaaaa! Hold the horses...could God be calling Robert into the ministry at such a time as this? Well, here was the scenario in a nut shell: Robert would be leaving a stable, well-paying job and he would become a gospel minister. They would at least be staying in their home versus a probable relocation that would most likely attend the coming promotion with the pharmaceutical company. But, it would be change for Trudy, Wendy and Brian at many levels. Especially Trudy...who did not "marry a preacher!" How did she respond? Well, to state the obvious...she was fully on board. In their prayerful consideration, both Robert and Trudy talked about the concept that God would not place this on just one spouse's heart. It had to be felt and accepted by both husband and wife. Perhaps it would be no mere understatement to report that Trudy accepted this new "calling" with more than a little trepidation...but accept it she did...in all of its ramifications. It always struck this pair with wonder, that they would be from that point on...be in..."the ministry." Trudy, well she was simply perfect in this role as the minister's wife. On one occasion when Robert was fielding questions from a church that was in the process of calling him to be their pastor, Trudy was asked to field a question. The question was something like this: "Mrs. Trudy, how do you see your role in the church should we call Brother Robert as our pastor?" Trudy didn't even hesitate as she confidently replied, in maybe just a hint of a sultry voice: "My primary role is to keep the preacher happy...and...I do that very well." Her response brought the house down and effectively ended the Q&A time. The church extended the call to Robert...wonder which of the Daniel's received the most conversation from those folks as they drove home from that meeting?

Robert and Trudy were most assuredly a team in ministry as Trudy accompanied Robert to virtually every event, most in-home visits, and a great many hospital visits. Tiredness never ever stopped her, however, her dedication to her profession as an educator would on occasion require her to be at her post at the school. No doubt, the churches served fully understood her heart and her dedication. Alpine First Baptist Church in Pineville, Louisiana, First Baptist Church in Montgomery, Louisiana, Twin Bridges Baptist Church in Alexandria, Louisiana, and Bethel Baptist Church in Colfax, Louisiana, were the churches the Lord blessed Robert and Trudy with great years of service. Though in some respects it seemed far too brief, Trudy was also in full partnership with Robert for the last nine months of her life as Robert began his present ministry post as Director of Missions for the churches of the Big Creek, Central Louisiana, and North Rapides Baptist Associations.

Written text is woefully inadequate to describe Trudy in her role as a professional educator. She taught for two years at Montgomery High School and then for twenty-one years at Tioga High School. She taught various math and science subjects but was primarily known as the Chemistry and Physics teacher. And teaching was her very special domain. While Trudy was Robert's partner in ministry, Robert was ill-equipped to return that sense of partnership for Trudy's profession. There were inevitably those times in which Trudy would express some frustration with students that seemed to lack motivation and/or present behavioral challenges. Robert simply said to Trudy: "Baby, you know that student that is driving you to distraction with his lack of effort and being a goof-off? Well, don't forget...you married a guy who was once just that kind of student." She allowed a stifled chortle and said: "Well, who knows, maybe there's hope for that student after all!" Though Robert gave full attention to supporting her behind the scenes, Trudy faced every challenge at her school with masterful aplomb. A superb educator in subjects that were quite challenging, Trudy approached her work with matchless determination and integrity. Notably, too, she lived her Christianity at every station of life without compromise and without apology. Scarcely a week passes that Robert doesn't have an affirming and spontaneous encounter with one of Trudy's former students. One might suppose that no teacher could have been held in greater esteem by her students and colleagues.

In the twenty-three years covered in broad stroke in this chapter, Trudy continued to relish her role as mother to Wendy and Brian. There were inevitable challenges, of course, but Trudy was a constant and reliable source of love and encouragement for her children.

She was proud of her beautiful daughter, Wendy, as she completed high school and university. Trudy and Robert were profoundly grateful to see the person for whom they had prayerfully asked God to provide for Wendy arrive on the scene. No doubt, Kirk Jones and Wendy were divinely drawn together. Trudy and Robert were positively aglow at Wendy and Kirk's wedding with a deep assurance that this was God's perfect will for their daughter. Trudy and Robert had often heard that there was nothing in life to prepare one for the experience of becoming a grandparent. My oh my, that truth was personified at the birth of their first grandchild. Trudy was right there with Wendy and Kirk for the birth of Daniel. All of their grandchildren were equally loved and cherished and each birth was uniquely amazing for Trudy and Robert. The births of Melanie and Kara filled their grandparents with an excitement and pride that they never got over.

Brian, too, was enveloped in the matchless love of his mother's great heart. Filled with admiration for the amazing man that had developed right before their eyes, Trudy and Robert delighted in his graduation from high school, university, and his pursuit of a Master's Degree from seminary. Once again, Trudy and Robert were grateful for the fulfillment of the prayers they had prayed all the days of Brian's life for his future wife. His stunning bride, Jessica Whitten Daniel was the beautiful answer to their prayers. With a heightened awareness of the preciousness of life, Trudy, was nine months into her rigorous cancer treatments when she experienced the incomparable blessing of the birth of granddaughter, Meredith.

Trudy faced the battle with Leukemia with faith and courage. Surely she never thought of herself as strong and heroic...yet that is precisely the essence of all that was observed in her. From the stupefying and terrible moment on February 23, 2007, that Trudy and Robert sat in the exam room and her physician communicated the grave diagnosis to them, through the many indescribable experiences, through the terror of various crises, and on through the last conversation that they shared only a few days before her death; her remarkable faith never wavered. Trudy Benoit Daniel was Robert's hero of the faith and he was absolutely humbled in the privilege he had in being her husband.

EPILOGUE:

Well, my friends...I admit that I know not how to close this epistle that has been dedicated to the love story of Robert and Trudy. I do appreciate your readership and the affirmation you have supplied during its writing. Even more, each of you who have read these entries have been inextricably a part of the story. At some level, at various times...you have entered into the lives and the story of Robert and Trudy. I will never take that for granted. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

God bless you,
Robert

P.S.: Thanks for the guestbook entries over the past year. This entire journal and those very personal guestbook entries will be placed into a hard copy notebook. Please feel free to add a your memory of Trudy's legacy by clicking on the guestbook tab and jotting down a thought.. Thanks, too, for the facebook entries...those have been very special.