I Can Tell You That Mine’s Sure A Keeper

Sat., Oct. 11, 1997

Mignon J. Whitt Special To Opinion

My husband and I have been married eight years. We have a healthy marriage. I consider it to be normal with all its ups and downs, good and bad, fights and discussions.

Mark went to Promise Keepers the first year in Seattle. When he returned, in walked a changed man.

A promise was made to love and serve his wife - me. A promise was made - less TV and more time with kids. A promise was made by him through God that would make our whole lives better.

Women need strong men, good leaders with loving hearts. When I hear people knocking down Promise Keepers, all I can say is, I would much rather have my husband away on a two-day weekend, learning how to love his family more, love God more and love me more, than I would anything else in the whole world.

If our country raised our little boys in Promise Keepers, we would turn out “real men,” not macho men but God-fearing, hard-working, loving wife-and-family men.

For Mark, it was a heart change. There was a sparkle in his eye, and I could see that he really loved me deeply. At that moment it was like we were saying our vows again.

I started to notice little things like shoulder rubs when I would do dishes, or helping to clear off plates at dinner time. Things like wiping down the stove and cleaning place mats happened frequently.

Oh, and there would be love notes when I woke up, with yellow roses, handpicked from the garden, in small vases.

I loved this change. I was the wife of a Promise Keeper.

My sons noticed the difference, too.

“Daddy, would you play with me, or do you want to watch football?”

“Sure, I’ll play. Just pick out some toys. Which one will I be?”

It wasn’t even halftime yet. I couldn’t believe my ears. The father had just turned into a daddy. The man I had always hoped for to be with my children was finally here.

There were so many ways he had changed. I felt prettier, happier and proud. I know that my God had called him back into his arms and unconditionally loved him right where he was, and he vowed to be a better husband and father, a man of integrity, a man who walked with God, not only in words but in his actions.

I am a strong individual, determined, aggressive, opinionated. But when I see my equal, my partner, acting in such love and with an inner strength, well, I’m glad he’s a Promise Keeper.

MEMO: Your Turn is a feature of the Wednesday and Saturday Opinion pages. To submit a Your Turn column for consideration, contact Rebecca Nappi at 459-5496 or Doug Floyd at 459-5466 or write Your Turn, The Spokesman-Review, P.O. Box 2160, Spokane, WA 99210-1615.

Your Turn is a feature of the Wednesday and Saturday Opinion pages. To submit a Your Turn column for consideration, contact Rebecca Nappi at 459-5496 or Doug Floyd at 459-5466 or write Your Turn, The Spokesman-Review, P.O. Box 2160, Spokane, WA 99210-1615.

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