The first time I met her I felt her warmth. Like a day with bright sunshine, everything felt better.  It was the last night of Samford University’s campus ministries retreat in August of 1975.  I married Peggy Skinner exactly three years later– August 22, 1978.

Our first meeting was all small talk in the midst of a dozen or more friends.  I’m not sure she noticed me, but I sure remember her and the way her eyes sparkled.  They still do.  We had all gathered just inside the entrance of the retreat lodge, about to make our way to a typical late night “Kumbaya” bonfire.  She was standing there with her older brother Larry who towered over her like a personal bodyguard– making sure she made friends, but keeping any fast moving guys at arms length just by the look on his face.  My roommate and closest friend, Andy, spoke a little Spanish– and practiced it on Peggy and Larry.  She spoke back to him in Spanish.  How I wished I could speak Spanish that day!

I remember how we all moved as a group in the dark toward the blazing bonfire.  She was so radiant in the light of the fire.  But Larry was present, and all I could do (all anyone could do) was admire from a distance.  Over the next two years, we saw each other now and then on campus.  We weren’t in the same classes, and she and I had a different set of close friends.  Still, I admired her from a distance.

I especially recall what happened a year and a half later, in the spring of 1977.  We were both involved in Samford’s campus ministries, and both had volunteered for a children’s neighborhood outreach in one of Birmingham’s poor, inner-city neighborhoods.  I was an actor with the skit team and worked with puppets on the stage.  Peggy was a kids’ team leader, in charge of a group of little children from one of the apartment buildings.

I admired how kind and loving she was to the kids.  I can still see her giving them rides on her back, and jumping and skipping with them between events.  She represented Jesus so powerfully.  To her it wasn’t a job, or responsibility, it was just another way to express God’s kind of love.  She loved Jesus SO much, and was never enamored by money and popularity.  She loved ministry, loved people, and loved God.  More than once I thought of her as the type of partner I someday needed in my life.  Still, my admiration was from afar.  I lamented the fact that she was dating someone at the time.  Larry had graduated and moved on, so someone took advantage of a green light.  I wished it had been me.

We both attended the annual campus ministries retreat again in August of ’77— Peggy as a junior, and me as a senior.  Peggy had been tapped as a leader of a small discipleship group of new Samford students.  One of the assignments was for her small group to perform a “skit” of some kind for everyone at the end of the retreat.  Fortunately (for me)…..I happened to be one of Samford’s “skit guys.”

To my delight, we happened to cross paths at retreat one day during lunch.  I had already heard that Peggy was now free and clear from her past relationship with another Samford guy.  Peggy saw me first, and started the conversation.

“Hey Mark.  Do you have a second?”

“Sure.  What’s up?”

“I have to put together a skit before Saturday morning.  I have no idea where to start.  Can you please help me with some ideas?”

(Oh yeah!  Heaven came down and glory filled my soul!)

“Sure!  I would be glad to.  Whenever you want me to meet with your group, just let me know.  I have an idea– and I’ll be glad to teach it to them.”

(Peggy’s eyes sparkled.) “Oh, that’s great.  Thank you so much. We’re meeting at 3 this afternoon.”  (They kept sparkling.)

“I’ll be there!.”   (My eyes googled.)  “Hey, can I ask your help on something?”  (It was the best instant, quick-thinking reaction that I’ve ever had in my life.)  “I’m teaching a Bible study in my hometown a week from Friday, and I was wondering if you could go with me and sing a song or two with your guitar.”

Now  Peggy had the voice of an angel, and could play the guitar– a super 1970’s cool combination, especially with bell bottom jeans and sandals!  She paused for just a brief second considering my invitation.  Then she gave me a great big smile, eyes sparkling again,

“That sounds like a great idea!  I’d love to.”

We went out to Farrell’s Ice Cream at Brookwood Mall and shared a bowl of sweet treat a few days later.  I used the excuse that we needed to “discuss the Friday night plans.”  She sang at the Bible study in Ashland– at my parents house, no less!  (Later my Dad told my Mom, “I sure hope Mark realizes that she’s a keeper!”)  And the rest is history.  We dated in the Fall, got engaged in February, and married on August 22, 1978.    Hey, the month of August has been good to me.  Really good to me.

When I fell in love with Peggy Skinner, I called her my “Sunshine.”  And after thirty eight years, she still is.  She reminds me of sunshine in several wonderful ways– let me count them:

Peggy is warm, friendly, happy– just like sunshine.

Like sunshine, she starts every day anew, with hope and a hug.  I look forward to it every morning.

She brings sunshine into my life.  Her ideas are good, her discernment is trustworthy, and her mind is sharp.

The sunshine is always there, even when dark clouds cover it temporarily.  So is my Sunshine lady– Sure, Steady, Faithful

Her sunshine is a healthy and healing sunshine.  Peggy nourishes me spiritually, and helps me grow.

She, like the sunshine, is a wonderful gift of God.

Sunshine sparkles, and so do Peggy’s eyes.

As Sunshine lights up the world– Peggy lights up my mine.

You Are My Sunshine.

Happy 38th Anniversary.

 

“Her children arise and call her blessed;
her husband also, and he praises her:
“Many women do noble things,
but you surpass them all.”  Proverbs 31:28-29

 

“God created marriage. No government subcommittee envisioned it. No social organization developed it. Marriage was conceived and born in the mind of God.”  ~ Max Lucado