If you read the "Thread of Discipleship", you heard about Diane Graham.
Diane and I's story started long before I was even born. God had already set things in motion before I would ever meet her. How sweet it is to know you are woven into part of His story before you were even a thought in anyone's mind on this Earth.
Let's jump back in time.
Diane's husband is Mike Graham. I never met Mike, but his legacy and love for God and God's Word has lived on through countless people - one of those being my Dad.
Mike Graham was the BSM, Baptist Student Ministry, director at Tarleton State University when Dad was playing football there. Mike would occasionally drop in the locker room and ask the guys different questions that were something along the lines of "Do you know Jesus?" or "What does being a Christian mean to you?"
One day Mike walked past Dad and asked, "What does that cross around your neck mean to you? Are you a Christian?"
Dad hem hawed around and never really said anything. He was raised to know Truth, but wasn't exactly following it during this season of his life.
Fast forward a little bit, God got Dad's attention one day. God whispered, "Billy, do you really want to stand for me?" That is when my Dad decided to surrender it all and follow Jesus.
The first person Dad wanted to tell was Mike Graham, and in true Mike fashion, he welcomed Dad. Mike's love for the Word of God began to rub off on Dad. Mike taught Dad to love scripture and how to study the Bible over the next couple years and then Mike moved on from Stephenville, but the things Mike taught my father were passed down to us as kids.
My first year at Texas A&M was not exactly a wonderful year. I missed home, I missed the peace of the country, I missed animals and I didn't love being there. Dad came down one weekend and took me to the BSM to find Mike Graham and this is when we learned he had recently passed away in a car accident.
Now fast forward almost 10 years later. I am working at a Central Baptist Church in College Station as the Missions Director. I was sitting at a table after service to gather volunteers for an event when up walks Diane Graham and her infamous negotiating abilities.
As she approached my table, "What exactly are we doing here?"
I started to explain the event and she said, "Oh yes, I heard of this. So here is the deal; I just finished taking care of my mom and I don't know if I am ready to get really involved, but I want to do something. So do you have anything where there isn't a lot of responsibility and maybe go around love on people or something like that?"
Side note: Diane really had a rough several years after losing Mike and then moving her mom in to live with her to take care of her through losing her eye sight, hallucinations, etc. due to Lewy Body Dementia.
I thought, oh my this is a fun one. "Sure! How about you just ride around with me and we will check on projects throughout the day, make sure the people have supplies, etc."
"That sounds perfect."
"What is your name?"
"Diane Graham"
I froze. "Did you say Diane Graham? Are you Mike Graham's wife?"
Diane gave me quite the look, "Who are YOU?"
I went into the story of my dad at Tarleton and impact Mike had on his life. She remembered Dad. In that moment, I think we both knew God had divinely set up the beginning of a deep friendship.
My relationship with Diane organically grew over the next couple years. God's timing was perfect. You see, I didn't know it at the time, but as Diane was getting to really know me and my heart as I was approaching season in my life that would be quite terrible, heart wrenching and gut turning. When that tidal wave hit, Diane Graham was there, pointing me to truth, staying awake for me when I would spend the night to talk or pray, love me and fight for me unlike I had never been fought for. There is one day in particular I remember sitting across the couch from her, trying to be tough, but feeling the quiver of my lip and lump in my throat - I was scared, I was tired, and I was trying to be strong. She looked at me and didn't have answers, but I could see in her eyes empathy for my pain, neither of us could explain what was going on, but she just said with tears in her eyes, "I don't know Jolynn, but do you know how precious you are to me?"
To be precious to Diane Graham is more than a gift, it is a treasure. It means you will get truth - even if you don't like it, it means you will be prayed over, it means she will cheer you on, she will cry with you, she will hold you, she will open her home up to you, she will be a soft landing place and a springboard, she will debate scripture and theology with you and love you more after even if you don't exactly agree.
She loves on several women, I am not alone in being loved by Diane. But what a example she has been for us girls that have been loved my her, learned from her, to know her personal heartbreaks and joys. Watch her chase God's heart, God's will, God's ways with everything she has. She is one of the women of faith that has laid the ground work and paved the way for the next generation and she is not close to be done.
The many times I have set across the table or on the other side of the phone and heard those words, "Do you know how precious you are to me?" To know I have a champion that loves me not because of anything I have accomplished or completed and she knows the beautiful and ugly parts of my heart, it a beautiful example of how Jesus loves me.
Diane doesn't have to love me. She is not my mom, grandma, but simply a woman that chooses to love me and gives me a glimpse of the love of Jesus in the most genuine way. Now, our relationship isn't always roses, but that is what makes is even more rich. Regardless of when we may become agitated or annoyed, neither of us is going anywhere. The same is true of the Jesus both of us love dearly. Regardless of how we feel or whatever truth is running through our brain for that day about His character, we can know that Jesus is steady, His love for us is sure, He is working all things together for our good and the good of the Kingdom of God, His love is steady, unwavering and His thoughts towards us are many, one of which may be very similar to, "Do you know how precious you are to me?"
Diane, you are oh so precious to me.