Meet Pam.
When I look at this woman, I see the most beautiful smile, the light of Christ shining on every side, strength, resilience, an encourager, a giver, a mother—and now a grandmother—and finally a community light bearer.
She has happily worked at Bronco for 23 years. She has also attended Rock Church for 27 years and is still going strong. She has been a member of the Franklin Junior Woman’s Club. Also, she has been a member of FHS Athletic Booster Club for 20 plus years. Pam has participated in Reality Fairs at the local schools assisting with financial literacy. She came on the chamber board in 2013 and served two terms (2013-2015, then 2016-2018). She was on the executive board 2015 through 2018, and served as President in 2017. She has been sitting on the CAMP 25 Board since its inception in 2017. She has also served on the Camp Community College Foundation Board since 2019 as Vice President, and is a member of the Investment Committee.
This list of her long-standing commitments is a testimony of her love for this city. Her husband, Dave, finally retired after working for the Franklin City Public Schools for 31 years. They are a faithful kind of people. They have also been marriage for 26 years and counting.
I’ve learned more about her recently. She lost her dad in a car accident when she was two years old. Her brother, Scott, was 6 months old, and her sisters, Diana and Donna, were 7 and 9. We all were raised in Church of God. Her mom married a Pentecostal preacher when she was 12. They were married for 25 years. Her mom passed away in 2003. She would have us in church every time they had service. Even our summer vacations consisted of Church of God camp meetings in Roanoke.
At age 27, Pam’s mom was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis and suffered until her home going at age 60. Pam was diagnosed at age 13 with JRA (Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis). She has several diagnoses, but rheumatoid is the main one which was diagnosed at the age of 21. Y’all, when you see her, you would never know it. This is her testimony of being a full-hearted woman. She has been a blessing to so many. I mean, just in the last two weeks she has blessed me. I felt the urge to go to Franklin pharmacy before my kid’s soccer games. I walked in and saw Pam and she told me she paid for my coffee and my friend Holly’s too. This is a small glimpse of her generous heart. Even in suffering, she has been giving so much energy into this community. She loves the people!! Jesus continues to give her the grace to stand and say, “Jesus loves you, this I know, for I have felt His everlasting love and I desire for you to know it too.”
For simplicity, Pam and Dave bought a smaller house a few years back, and I had to add a picture because it’s one of the cutest houses on clay street.
I played a small part in this house color story. Pam asked me to come over, for I am a lover of all things color related. She said, “I want to do white siding, black shutters, and a red door.” I said, “You mean like the seven other houses down the street? This is a Bungalow style home. You can play up the color here.” So, they went with this dark blue gray and I’m really happy with that last-minute change. It’s the happiest house on the street. Dave is a carpenter and can do just about anything. I can’t even write this without feeling tender about Dave’s care for this woman. He helps her every morning to get moving. He was built to care for her in a very sacrificial way. Love is in the air when Pam and Dave are there. He doesn’t like to show it, but he’s a big softy even if he is sassy. They have made a little paradise in their backyard area just for family happenings. Take a peak.
Pam, thank you for your sacrifice. Thank you for serving. Thank you for your consistent faithfulness to growth in this community. Thank you for being a part of Bronco’s goodness glue. I know there are so many stories—I don’t know, but God does. He hears your heart. Healing is still possible on this side of heaven.
So many people wonder, why does God allow bad things or suffering to happen to good people? I have learned in my own story, the trails/suffering is what connects us to another, for we can relate. The relating is the currency to find your Jesus calling. Pam is passionate about souls, y’all. Hearts being saved is deep down in her bones. She saw miracles at a young age in those tent revivals. Her faith to believe for impossible things has made her who she is today. Our Heavenly Father loves it when His daughters understand their position as a daughter of the King and stand and pray about any and everything to find their peace. So, I will end this with a prayer of peace.
Dear Pam,
Peace!! Peace My daughter! You shine bright, My daughter, for you carry My likeness. Your face makes Me oh so smiley. I enjoy singing over you. I see you in those frustrating moments. I am there with you. You have felt it too. You pray and ask for more, more, more, more, Lord. And so, I pour a little bit more for that day. It’s My pleasure to pour My healing oil over you whenever you ask, My daughter. It might not have completely healed you, but it’s caused a reliance on Me that so many miss. I love you, My daughter. I enjoy your company. Thank you for trusting in Me. I am always listening. I am always listening. Amen and amen.
So, there you have it. I hope you have enjoyed learning a little bit more about Pam and her family. It’s been a pleasure to know her and to have done a little bit of life right beside her. My encouragement for you, the reader, is if Pam comes to mind, send her a text. Send a song. Say a prayer. You never know what might be happening in that moment, but it matters. The follow through matters. This is the day that the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it.
Until next time,
Stay tender.
Connect to the Mender.
Be a sender.
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