To The Crawford Family
1 minute read
“To The Crawford Family”
By Ray Reynosa
I have asked God if I will ever have the honor of having a family of my own one day.
But as I’ve reflected, I’ve realized He has already given me more than I ever asked for. He has given me 10+ families, each instilling something different in me, each building different parts of who I am becoming as a young man.
And what I believe the Crawford family strengthened in me… was the Spirit.
When I was traveling the country, I was in the middle of my spiritual journey and I found myself alone standing on a beach in Florida, not knowing where to go next, asking God what was ahead. I specifically said, “I will go wherever You lead me.” and a month later, I found myself back in Arkansas for a speaking event. Where I got to share a stage with an author who’s book deeply impacted me.
The next day was a Sunday, so we attended Cross Church like always. During service, trying to fight back tears, I began to cry and felt called to the altar. Shortly after, A member of cross church took me to a back room.
You and I never really talked about it after I came out, and you respected me enough not to ask, but in that back room, through tears, I confessed my love for God. I prayed and asked Him to save me. I remember my tears hitting the floor and feeling as though a heavy weight had lifted off me. As if he was waiting for me to submit. (Even writing about it now makes me emotional.)
This was long before I ever thought about moving to Arkansas.
After that event, I randomly applied to a couple of jobs around the country, one of them in Arkansas. Two days later, I received a call that led to securing the position. So I loaded what belongings would fit in my 2021 Hyundai Kona and moved because my faith and trust in God had turned solid.
I remember upon my return to Arkansas, that first Sunday there. We went to church again, and they showed a video about a man who felt called into the same exact industry as me, who packed up and moved across the country in obedience to God’s calling to serve. I remember us looking at each other smiling in disbelief because of how closely it mirrored what was unfolding in my life at that moment.
That moment strengthened my belief even more.
When I accepted the position, you were quick to open your doors to help me transition, but even more than that, you opened your hearts to me.
You welcomed me into your home and treated me with the same care and love as if I had always been one of your own.
I imagine your sons and their families may have thought at first, “She’s letting a stranger live with her?” But after spending time with them, I felt like I gained an entirely new family.
Your oldest, a role model and visionary.
Your youngest, a heart of gold with a blunt humor that could make anyone laugh.
All equally incredibly good men whom I deeply admire.
And then there’s Jackson, barking whenever he’s not the center of attention.
I got to pray alongside you all, break bread at your table, laugh together, and be entrusted with sacred family stories. Those moments will forever remain in my heart.
Some of my favorite memories in your home were loving on Jackson, watching Jeopardy! and faith-based movies that, little did you know were reigniting my spirit. It was Mr. Crawford’s wild country humor, saying things I didn’t quite understand, like, “You couldn’t hit the side of a barn.” It was the morning breakfast biscuits. The early drives to church. The unmistakable love that filled your home.
Thank you both for taking me in.
Thank you both for your love.
Thank you both for your generosity and your blessings.
There are moments in life when God answers prayers not with things but with people.
You were that answer for me.
Because of you, I now sit in my home here in Fayetteville, Arkansas, rooted in a faith that was strengthened under your roof. And I will never forget the spirit that lived inside your walls, the same spirit that helped shape mine.
