Lessons from Joe & Irma Garcia

Happy 2022, I know I haven’t been blogging like I should, this tragedy in Texas struck a cord with me. Within this tragedy, I heard about the passing of Joe Garcia, the husband to the late Irma Garcia. I just posted this on Facebook, and now I want to share this with everyone.

#MayneMan on Real Love (and not the Mary J. type, either)! Now that I have your attention, I heard about the tragic death of not only Irma Garcia, but also the death of her husband. I don’t want to minimize the weight of any death that has occurred in these shootings and those that died tragically, I just want to park here to talk about the love these two have.

I don’t know what all of what their marriage entailed, and we will never know. Based on this photo here is very telling. I know I’m coming up on 3.5 years of marriage, and it’s definitely a learning institution I will never graduate from. What I found interesting is that they were high school sweethearts and their marriage was for 24 years. They stayed true to their vows, and that’s the first thing that struck me (till death do they part). The honor of Joe, he went to his wife’s memorial and he passed due to grief. If this isn’t love, I don’t know what is. Yes, both of their deaths were tragic, but their living out this thing called marriage speaks to me. Men, brothers, this is how our wives want to be loved, where we would sacrifice for them (even if it means we cease from living to protect them) and to always agape and honor them. We are in a covenant with our wives and our marriages are so important to the world and to God. Joe loved Irma so much that he would lose (sacrifice) his life in honor of his wife. That’s what agape and honor looks like. His heart broke over the loss of his wife. To me, that defines a covenant that they had. Ladies, I know this story of their passing is heartbreaking, let their marriage relationship minister to you (whether you’re single, married, etc). 

Think about this, the bridegroom gave up His life because He honored His bride. The bridegroom’s heart breaks when our hearts break. This is when two really become one (this is known as the power of covenant)!

My condolences go out to the Garcia’s children and to the families who lost loved ones due to this tragedy. 

#irmagarcia

#JoeGarcia

#GarciaStrong

No Love, No Honor, No Support

Jesus was explaining a parable in Luke 14:15-24. There was a man who made a great supper and invited people to come. One by one, there were excuses as to why they couldn't come. Eventually, the master said to the servant to go out to the streets and lanes of the city, the poor, blind etc., and invite them. When they all came, there was still more room at the supper. The master then said to the servant to go to the highways and hedges so the house will be full. What's the focus here? Well, this parable was an invitation to Israel to accept the invitation to Jesus, but they rejected him (granted, Jesus would say in other gospels that a prophet is not welcomed in his own home town). Jesus got from Israel no love and no honor.

You are called to do something great, and people who are close to you won't accept you and what you can provide. Instead, they will find every excuse in the book not to support you, or they will want you to give something to them at a discount (or better yet, for free, cause we're brothers, sisters, first cousins, whatever). What happens is that you get no love, and no support from your own.

I dedicate this section to my fellow authors (you will understand this). One of my fellow authors wrote a comment on her Facebook page and it provoked my thinking on this topic. To all the authors that have complained to me about how their friends and family don't support them and haven't bought their books, I say," So! There are way more people out here that you don't know than the ones you do know and are related to. Millions! So if your friends and family won't support, reach out to the millions of strangers that WILL!" I still have several "friends" and family members who haven't done a thing to support me.

What she said was the essence of the parable mentioned above. There is no love, and no support from your own (I'm referring to close friends and family - whether immediate or extended). But when you make it big and are a celebrity, that's when people will take notice. By that time, it will be too late.

This post is not to convict anyone, it's just a little thought about the need to support each other's visions, dreams and talents. We don't do that because we're selfish (and some are just jealous because they went for it) and we need to suppress that spirit. There's no need for us not to love, honor and support someone who's trying to make their dream happen. We all have dreams and talents and we need to support each other. But if you want to sit on your dream and talent, you have no one to blame but yourself! Let me repeat that, you have no one to blame but yourself! Trust me, if you support me, I will support you. This is what it means to have love, honor and support!