November 25,1996
Dear Brother and Sister Shaw,
Greetings in Jesus’ lovely name.
We received an invitation to your sixtieth wedding anniversary
gala (sixtieth—wow!) but were out
of state when the date arrived. You deserve all the fanfare and attention
that must have been showered upon you by your loving family and many friends on
this great occasion. I just want you to know we, too, love and appreciate
you, and are thrilled to add our little two-cents worth.
You have been an inspiration and blessing to untold numbers
of families; many of which, no doubt, would have thrown in the towel were it not
for your excellent example. My first memory of Brother Shaw is a tall, handsome,
bear-chested, blackhaired young man, in button-front overalls, smeared with grease
and holding a wrench in his hand! I can almost remember the very car you were
working on...seems it was a green coupe.
I recall the love and loyalty you had for my father and
mother when Dad was your pastor. My parents loved you in return. When
y’all were no longer our next door neighbors, it seemed a vacuum was created in
my young heart. What a joy it was to hear of your calling to go to
The Forty years I’ve been pastor here have been spiced
by the occasional visits we’ve enjoyed with you folks at conferences. You
have done a commendable job in rearing your children to love and serve the Lord.
How proud you must have been when your grandson took up the mantle of the ministry!
Through him and others, your reward will continue to grow until Jesus comes again.
Sister Shaw, you have so faithfully followed your fine
husband as he followed Christ, and cared for your family in such a manner that their
testimony could be no other than the biblical proverb
“Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth
her.” And we praise you, too.
As you go from this milestone on your way to “forever
together,” we join many in wishing you both the best of health, wealth, and Christian
happiness!
With sincere love,
The Haymon clan in