Yesterday evening, my family and I traveled back to my home county in upstate New York to celebrate the installation of Reverend Norman Graves Sr. into the First Baptist Church in South Fallsburgh. I always find it an honour to be in his presence because of his calming spirit, something that I grew up with. A spirit that resided inside of my great aunt.
My aunt Rachel and Norman Graves have been married for 23 years. The tests they were given in this life turned into inspirational testimonies and would make the most stubborn atheist believe in...something. But my own expierience with his true generosity came when I was at a point in my life that I can only really describe as a dark period. I saw no light in my life and desperately took it upon myself to swallow twelve unknown pills and a codeine. After what seemed to be just hours in the hospital, my sister showed up along with Reverend Graves and my aunt Rachel to pray for me. Something they didn't have to do but something I would never forget. In heinsight-I feel that was a selfish thing for me to do. Had I stopped and realized that they had their own trials and tribulations, like the loss of their own son, my beautiful cousin Spencer, as well as an illness that left Norman hospitalized for weeks and the partial loss of his sight leaving him legally blind. But that's what spirits like his do. They are completely selfless.
Reverend Graves is also blessed with the gift to bring tears to your eyes when he sings. I remember when he and my aunt met in Friendship Baptist Church,they would always ask him to sing a solo which would inevitably get the congregation exhilarated and emotional. My Uncle Norman is a good man. My aunt Rachel is a good woman and all of their children, Norman Graves Jr., Julius Graves and the twins Elisha and Eleisha are beautiful and very special. I'm honored to be born into my family.
Congratulations Reverend and Sister Graves. You are loved
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