A Hero For Today

He wasn't much to look at.  A tiny little boy with holes in his clothes and shoes.  At the age of six, my Grandfather sat by his mom who was dying, and he remembered her praying, "Lord, please look after my son Wayne.  Send someone to take care of him."  After his mom passed, his dad did his best to try to take care of the family, while working in the coal mines.  He eventually got married to a woman who was the essence of a wicked stepmother.  At the age of 10, my Grandfather was kicked out of his home.  He lived with various relatives, but it was very hard to take in an extra child while living through the depression.  After being passed around, it looked like he would be living out in the streets like so many other children during that time.  But then his sister and her husband brought him to their home, and took him in where he lived until graduating from highschool.  There is where he met his one and only love, Betty.  He was the football captain, and she was the homecoming queen.  After highschool, he joined the Navy.  It was during WWII, and he was out at sea.  He didn't know if he'd ever make it back to the states alive to make Betty his wife,  and he looked up to the sky and said, "God, I don't know you and I'm not sure how to know you.  But if you help me to get out of this war alive, I will find you."  He did make it back, and married Betty.  He remembered his promise to God, and one night after work, he was walking home and passed a store front church.  He entered the door to beautiful music.  And that night, he found God.  At first, Betty did not take well to his new conversion.  But not too long after Wayne found God, Betty found God.  Their whole lives were changed.  Wayne felt that God wanted  him to become a minister, which he did.  They were known for building new churches, and working hard for the Lord.  His respect throughout the community, and throughout the church denomination grew.  He was placed into administrative work, and eventually went  back to Pastoring a church in Nashville Tennessee, the Broadmoore Church of God.   There he met the great musicians of that time, Johny and June Cash, and baptized their son, he met Grandpa Jones, as he'd go back stage at the Grand Ol' Opry.  He received a key to the city from the Mayor of  Nashville.  Wayne Proctor was a man who loved God, and was a man of great integrity.  He then moved to Lexington Kentucky, and built a beautiful church there, and everywhere he went, his church family loved and respected him.  And eventually he retired from Pastoring, and his next job.....well, it was to take care of his precious Mother in Law who was dying from Diabetes.  He bathed her, changed her, clothed her, and fed her until she passed.   He and his wife Betty moved out to California after that to be with their only child and grandchildren.  And his job today is probably the most important, and what makes him my hero.  He now takes care of his precious Betty Jewell who has Alzheimers, and who is now like a small child.  He tells me that she is his precious Jewell, and he is taking care of her until death do them part.  He is my hero.  He is my hero for loving God and living for God, he is my hero for surviving the depression, he is my hero for serving our country, he is my hero for raising his son to love and cherish not only his relationship with God, but his family, he is my hero for taking care of his mother in law, he is my hero for loving and caring for his one and only love Betty.  He is my Papa, my hero.