Ah, yes, Jacqui Denham.  She is my brother’s wife, a freshly minted Denham family member who luckily got a 2 for 1 discounted special to be in our family. She brings along a son, a cute stud of a 4 year old who makes me laugh like nobody’s business.  However, this post and celebration of her mother(ness) or special woman (ness) is not about her child Will.

It is about the way she shapes a family.  The way she reshapes people.  She transformed my brother.  She transformed him- not changed him, but brought out of him what he always was but may not have allowed himself to be.  She brought out his sense of responsibility, his faith.  A lot of his growth stems from the very fact he met her.  And it has been Jacqui’s ability to handle conflict and new family that I have been so impressed with.  It is not everyday that some random woman joins the Denham/Goldy clan and sticks and meshes seamlessly.  That’s been a drought much like the Red Sox World Series woes from 1918-2004.  But gloriously she broke the curse.  She managed the transition with grace and beauty, and when she has run into difficulty or conflict, she manages and does an exceptional job at dealing with the issues with compassion, concern, and skilled care.  She is indeed a mother, but she is more than a mother (which is why Mother’s Day to me is more about celebrating women who evidence great love).  She has a grace and charisma and passion for God that rubs off on others, brings others near, and encourages transformation in God’s love.  Her time with my brother reflects this.  People are better, they are closer to God because this woman of faith has interacted with her.  And it is because of this kind of character, the character evidenced in Proverbs 31 and in Genesis and in the Gospels that she is able to enter a strange family and adjust and make such an impact.  And I praise God for her.  Thanks Jacqui!