A Man for all Seasons
Winter, Spring, Summer or Fall – all you have to do is call, and he’ll come running. Please let me introduce you to that beautiful man on his birthday. Larry Wallace, my daughter’s husband; Payton and Alexia’s dad and I call him my son! We share him with the many who he “fathers”, “friends”, and “mentors”.
My blog today pays tribute to this man who is the kindest, gentlest yet strongest, wisdom-filled, tender-hearted man who abounds in patience beyond description. I gave an up close and personal view of him on a very difficult day a couple of months ago when he accidentally got his beloved John Deere Tractor stuck in a swamp for hours. I was there. Never, at any moment, did he cave. No expletives. No anger. No self-deprecating remarks. He stayed the course in patience and resolve and left a lesson to all of us of how to act in pressured situations. He demonstrated “What Would Jesus Do?”
Larry co-leads with my daughter, a women’s organization for disenfranchised, abused, formerly homeless and broken women. Larry lived in that world as a child. He was raised by a single mom who worked three jobs to make ends meet for her and her young son. Without funds for childcare, Larry came home from school to fend for himself: cook, wash his own clothes and overall take care of himself.
As a teenager, he knew that if he wanted to go to college he would have to earn a scholarship or earn enough money to go. He pursued athletics — particularly, football. Larry’s high school coach and neighbor kept him on the straight and narrow when he saw him hanging out with the “wrong crowd”. He pulled Larry aside, pushed him against the wall and said, “Larry, if you want to make something out of your life, you’ve got to stop hanging out with the wrong crowd.”
It was such an impactful conversation, that Larry made the decision to become the best version of himself that he could. He changed his friends, changed the things he was doing and began to work hard. That coach’s support and encouragement in football and life paved the way for him to get a 4-year scholarship to Texas A&M, from 1989 to 1993.
That was a winning football season at A&M. They went to 5 post-season bowl games, 2 pre-season bowl games, won 3 Southwest Conference championships. Larry played defense and his team’s defense was ranked #1. Larry went on to receive his Engineering Degree from A&M.
Even after graduating, “being the best version of himself” continued to be his mode of operation in life. Larry didn’t come from a 2-parent family, or a family of means and could have looked at himself as deprived, rejected, lost, and forgotten — but he didn’t. He knew that nothing defined who he was except for who he believed God made him to be.
On this his birthday, I like to think that way back when Larry’s dear mom made the sacrifices she did for her boy and instilled hard work ethics into him, God was already working out His divine plan for his life. That’s just the God we serve.
Jeremiah 29:11 “Oh the plans I have for you,” says the Lord, plans to prosper you and not harm you. Plans to give you a hope and a future” was already at work in him when he was a latch-key kid, becoming responsible and independent.
God was at work in him when his coach became a role model who would point him to doing what was right. God was at work in him when he moved to Tulsa for work, met my daughter, attended her weekly Bible Study, gave his life to Christ and “What Would Jesus Do?” became the mode of operation that he would continue to live out in his life every day.
God has always been at work in him as he has become the most incredible husband, dad and son to me, and is the role model to so many others in business, in life and in his walk with God.
And, you know what? God has always been at work in your life, too! Who we are is God’s gift to us. What we make of this gift, is our gift back to God and this world. Maybe we should start living “What Would Jesus Do?” in our own lives to be the best versions of ourselves that we can be!