Thursday, May 25, 2008 - Learning to Be a Better Man

Jeseca was the dream wife…gorgeous, sexy and athletic; extremely talented; wise, yet humble; fun; energetic; supportive; and she loved the Lord with all of her heart. She was the heart and soul of our family, and it was her friendship, love and support that helped shape me into the man I am today. Needless to say, the most difficult moment of my life came when I kissed her hand for the last time—the hand I held as she drew her last breath.

My heart skipped a beat the first time she smiled at me; the same, familiar beat it skipped each time she gazed back at me with her beautiful blue eyes and wonderful smile. We met at a golf course bar and grill, fell in love shortly afterward, and were married nine months later. In our eleven years of marriage, we grew to trust and love each other more each day. And we dreamed of conquering the world in our own unique way—she would become the most recognizable portrait artist in America while I played on the PGA Tour. Life was good.

Now that's not to say we didn't have our challenges. Every marriage does. We just didn't allow them to overtake who we were together. We believed in us , and we believed in a mighty God who promised to make all things good if we would simply put Him first. With that, we were able to rise above nearly every obstacle thrown at us.

Then in the summer of 2003, nearly two years after a mini-vacation to see her family was cut short due to a tennis ball–sized lump under her jaw, our lives took on a different direction than we'd planned, and our relationship and faith were put to the test.

When we were originally told she might have cancer, our initial thought was that God would use it to reach people for Him. (Hey, we were young and ambitious, and believed wholeheartedly in the dreams and desires God had given us together.) Our reaction to the actual diagnosis was a bit less enthusiastic, I admit. The transition from might have to did have was heavy. And the outlook was dire.

She had what the doctors called the most advanced, localized case of cancer they'd ever seen. What began as a lump under her jaw became a massive disease—18 tumors—affecting every region of her neck. More...