August 29 – “Tish Richardson and The Promise”

August 29 – “Tish Richardson and The Promise”

A very special lady died the other day.  She had already fought through open heart surgery and breast cancer with the same mix of Mom-like strength and elegant grace that she lived her whole life.  And yes, I said elegant.  Tish always tried to come across as salt-of-the-earth, and she occasionally pulled it off.  But when you have the air of regality that she had, it’s just hard to hide it. 

Now all of us have seasons of life.  I understand that.  I knew Tish when I was the youth pastor at Langwood Baptist church way back when you had to write a “19” in front of the century and a “70” in front of the year.  Way back when Cyndi was Cindy and Traci was Tracy (Don’t get me wrong.  Chico and Tish might have been the ones to switch those letter around, but I only knew one way to spell girls’ names back then).  Long before Mark and Curtis came along and swept them off their feet (Unless it was the other way around.  That was another era, not mine). 

School was out and the dorms were closed, so I had no place to stay for the three summer months.  I would have to move back to Galveston to stay with my parents and give up my ministry at Langwood.  And into that milieu came exploding a totally unexpected offer from Tish and Chico.  Would I like to move in with them for the summer so I could continue my work at the church?  Wow.  I knew Tish back then as one of the ladies who periodically gave me “that look” when I did something goofy with the teenagers.  You know, the one that said, “Am I really going to trust my daughters around this wacko?”  Of course she really couldn’t say anything because Chico was inevitably first in line to try the goofiness.

So, suddenly I had two little sisters when I had only known brothers before.  One of them gave up her bedroom (I’m still not sure which one that was.  They both claimed to have made that ultimate sacrifice for a teenage girl.  And I really do appreciate it, Sis.  Both of you.).  And once again I had another surrogate Mom and Dad.  For some reason God had a way of providing me with those when I was a young college pup.  He knew what I needed.  Chico was great fun to talk to and to go with to scary movies that no one else wanted to go to (And there was no way he would take his girls.  And Tish wouldn’t go, either.  OK.  I know what you’re wondering.  That was back when the movie The Exorcist came out.  We actually prayed around the dining room table before we went to that movie).  Tish was the consummate hostess.  She made sure I ate and had a place to sleep.  That’s pretty much all a college boy needed, right?  They didn’t have any sons, but somehow Tish was there with just what I needed.  Tish just knew.  But there was one thing … Tish didn’t take any flack.  Joking around was one thing, but it wasn’t hard to know when the limit had been reached.  She would lean back in her chair and put on “that look” – the one where she kept just the hint of a smile on her lips but  all smiling was gone from her eyes.  I have tried to duplicate that look many times.  Never could quite get the hang of it.  But I bet her grandchildren have seen it in the eyes of their own mothers. 

That was the summer that I finally got engaged to Chris.  I hid the ring for two months in my file cabinet.  But no one knew about it except me and my Dad.  The plan was to give it to her on her birthday.  You know, kill two birds with one stone.  That didn’t really work out, but I did eventually ask, and she did say yes, just in case you were wondering.  But here’s the thing.  Early on that summer Tish called me over to her and looked at me.  Again with the looks, right?  And out of the blue she made me promise to tell her when I proposed to Chris, no matter what time it was.  How did she do that?  She never even met my Dad.  I didn’t tell anyone.  But Tish just knew. 

Sure enough, later on that summer I proposed to Chris after an Astros game (I’m really romantic, right?).  But here’s the thing.  I really like the Astros.  I had planned this for months.  But the game was getting pretty long.  They were playing the Dodgers, and they were doing well.  In fact the score was tied.  But I had a ring in my pocket and a promise in the back of my mind.  We left in the eighth inning, and I told Chris we could listen to the rest of the game on the radio.  Except when we got to the car someone had snapped off my radio antenna.  I was frustrated and a bit angry.  But I had a ring in my pocket and a promise in the back of my mind.  I finally got the deed done.  Do you know how hard it is to concentrate on a romantic proposal with Tish Richardson whispering in your ear, “You better come tell me, no matter what time it is”? 

We called our parents to let them know.  And by then it was getting kind of late.  "Well past eleven and nearly midnight" late.  The ring was no longer in my pocket, but that promise was still in the back of my mind.  I told Chris to hop in the car.  We had someplace to go.  She was stunned enough by the ring that she only offered a token, “But it’s so late,” and we headed over to fulfill – that’s right – the promise in the back of my mind.  We rang the doorbell, and Tish and Chico met us in their robes.  The door opened and Tish had yet another of her “looks” on.  This one was the huge grin.  And out from behind that grin, before I could say a word, came Tish’s loud comment, “So let me see the ring.”  Tish knew. 

You know, I’m fairly certain that as Tish walked up to Jesus the other day, she had that ever-present Tish-smirk on her face.  And she no doubt grinned at the Lord and said, “I told them it would be this good.”

1 John 5:13 says, “These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life.”

Father, thank you for the life Tish lived and the influence she had on so many people.  Thank you for welcoming her with open arms.  I know that makes her truly happy.  Amen.