We met a man named Junior. And we learned about bravery and true love.
We met him the day after our power went out. The rain rolled in from the south, and the wind whistled its strange tune.
Chris and I found ourselves in the outer bands of Hurricane Ian.
We were in the Abacos to celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary.
As usual, things went a little haywire while we were away.
After all, there was an unfortunate incident with our cat, a rogue golf ball and a treacherous fall.
While we were there, sickness dropped by, the power blinked, and we had a flat tire changed by someone we didn't understand but whose broad smile assured us it would be alright.
And after that, we met Junior and heard of his tale of bravery.
Junior lived through Hurricane Dorian, a horrific storm that devastated the Abacos in 2019.
He told us that automobiles and boats were tossed like Matchbox cars into trees.
He said that hotels were wiped off the earth.
But more than that, he told us his story of survival.
During the storm, he sent his fiancée to take the last seat on a bus, headed to a church, where they would weather the storm that sat on the Abacos, the out islands, in the Bahamas, for 48 hours.
Junior told us that after his fiancée left, he tried to crawl to safety but could only reach a nearby tree because of the wind, so he clung to it.
He said the storm whipped about his body; his skin peeled off.
He said it looked like the Walking Dead, with bodies piled up.
Junior's story made us think about love and sacrifice. It made us think about what it means to be brave and about laying your life down for another.
Why does this matter?
Because despite objections, our kids have been exposed to objectionable sex ed materials. No matter how much our leaders doth protest.
But, there is a God-given antidote to the current nonsense.
It’s our marriages, our families and our homes.
And now, more than ever, we must fight.
Just like Junior did for the woman who's now his wife.
Our kids need us to take time for each other, even though it's hard.
They need us to leave, especially when everything goes wrong; even when you get phone calls about little ones, cats and homecoming.
And are you OK? Do you see the hurricane? Do you need to leave?
They need us to stand in awe and wonder about God and his provision of marriage.
Apart from them, from time to time, so that we can then stand with and for them.
They need to hear us tell tales of adventure. Yes. Even after 25 years, and hopefully, for 25 more.
They need to know about the faded red Hobie kayak that we flipped or the green turtle that slipped right past Chris as he stood in shallow water. They need to know about the peacocks that roamed freely, or of the flat tire that meant our plans changed again.
Our kids need to know that marriage is valuable because it is the God-ordained bulwark for our society.
What our kids see at home is what God will use to help them stand against what's happening in school, especially now, with the extreme, comprehensive sex ed classes and the mysterious groups that push it.
Because by now, we know that whoever is pushing extreme comprehensive sex ed in certain schools is slick and able to slither their materials right past the gate and onto our kid's screens and ultimately into their minds.
These are groups that our elected leaders may be part of but claim to know nothing about, which is weird. Because aren't they in charge?
And listen. I get it; I understand that Alabama does not mandate sex ed. I know that what's taught is up to the districts and schools. I spoke in schools, beginning in 1992, about abstinence and character education.
But I also know, like you do, that the only way any of this changes is if we fight back.
We must.
And that starts first by fighting for your family and by fighting for your marriage.
I understand.
There are plenty of single-parent homes, doing your best.
I also understand that there are marriages on the brink.
No matter your situation, the family, our families, our marriages and our homes are the answer.
They are what will preach loudly against the perverse and comprehensive sex education currently slipping past the gates and being used in our schools.
Nehemiah 4:14: "... remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your families, your sons, and your daughters, your wives, and your homes."
Amie Beth Shaver is a speaker, writer and media commentator. Her column appears every Wednesday in 1819 News. Shaver served on the Alabama GOP State Executive Committee, was a candidate for State House District 43 and spokeswoman for Allied Women. The views and opinions expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the policy or position of 1819 News. To comment, please send an email with your name and contact information to Commentary@1819News.com.
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