Legacy

 One of my absolute favorite picture of Charles and Melda

Sadly I woke up this morning to a little boy at 5:30 am wanting to play football and some tragic news.  My cell phone was bright so I looked at it and saw a text from my brother.  My heart sank as I read the words.  Just minutes before my little man was ready to go tackle someone outside in the dark, my brother said that my sister-in-laws father, Charles Collins, was hit by a car last night (Thursday around 6:30pm) while walking near his home.  Brent and Leigh were not notified until around 4am.

I was deeply sad, shocked, many tears where shed.  TJ came home an hour later from his Cross Fit workout (yes, that early) and I told him the news.  I had to call my parents who had not heard the news yet and tell them.  It was all such a blur...

Later while I was getting dressed I was just thinking about the good memories I had of Charles, and not only Charles, Melda too.  Melda was Leigh's amazing mother who passed away 8 years ago of breast cancer.  My family knew them while we were growing up at East Side Baptist Church.  Little did anyone know that many years later Brent would ask Leigh out their senior year of high school and get married 5 years later.  We have known the Collins family for many years.

Charles and Melda both made HUGE spiritual impacts on my life.  Melda was one of the godliest women I know, always hospitable, loved you and wanted to encourage you even if she just met you one minute ago.  Charles was an amazing man of God.  He was the head football coach at McEachern during the 70's and early 80's,  and he was the Chaplin for the Atlanta Falcons.  He played football at Auburn so we got to sneak in the "Letterman's Club" during football games because we were "with Charles Collins".  We spend many Easter Sunday brunches at their home and I actually had the honor of having my bridesmaids lunch at their house.  It was beautiful and perfect since their family meant so much to me.

Melda struggled with breast cancer for many years and Charles took amazing care of her.  They had such an incredible love for one another.  I remember (I think, haha) that once when Melda was so sick he had bought her a new wedding ring, got down on one knee and asked her to marry him again :)  Something like that... don't quote me.  I just remember that it WOW'ed me.  They were in LOVE.

I didn't "blog" 8 years ago but I remember when we lost Melda and she got to go celebrate ultimate healing with her Heavenly Father.  It was the most incredible funeral services I have ever been to.  Mac Powell from Third Day sang and I feel like a saw a little glimpse of heaven. What a worship service it was!

Melda, her mother MiMi, and Leigh

Today I was comforted by this scripture... "Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice! .... Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus."  Phillipians 4:4 & 7


Also, as I was thinking back to Charles and Melda I wonder and don't understand why bad things happen to good people... and we won't know that answer fully I think until we all are with Jesus.  But this is what I do know, both Charles and Melda lived their life for Christ and for The Gospel to be known, they both showed love and lived love, and they both knew this earth was not their home.  I pray the same for my life.  


Jeff, Leigh's brother, wrote this on his Facebook along with the photo below... " Greatest Father in the world! Thanks for showing me how to be a man by living it."  

Their older sister, Tricia, wrote this..."Best Dad ever - what a blessing and what a childhood! For us to be so loved by him still is such a treasure!"  And I'm sure if Leigh was on Facebook (wink, wink) she would agree and say the same.  


Tonight I rocked my little man to sleep, telling him about Aunt Leigh's daddy, Mr. Charles.  I told Anderson about him playing football at Auburn, coaching football, and that the coolest thing was that he got to teach football players about Jesus and how much he loved them each individually.  I hold Anderson how Mr. Charles got to pray with football players and that because Mr. Charles asked Jesus into his heart that he is now in heaven with Jesus.  Anderson said that he wanted to ask Jesus into his heart one day and he wanted to be a coach too.  Thankful that even tonight I was able to share Charles life and the gospel with my son. 


I am thankful for the whole Collins family.  I'm know Charles and Melda are singing and dancing together in the streets of heaven praising the Lord.  They are completely healed, they are in glory... They both have been and will be missed and they both left an amazing legacy! 


Please read this wonderful article in the AJC... McEachern Mourns Death of Former Head Football Coach

National Championship weekend... Snowed in in Atlanta at the top of "the hill" of now Jeff and Ivy's house which is the home of Charles and Melda and where Leigh grew up.  Charles is right above my nephew Jackson in the middle.