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Sixth Grade
Sweethearts
The room filled with the snickering of three teenagers as Martha Hawk began
the story of how she and Labron met and got married. "War stories, again?"
asked Matthew as he slumped down into the chair.
 Martha explained that anytime she and Labron talk about their lives
together, their marriage and where God has led them, the children just roll
their eyes or laugh. As we talked, the kids never budged. They listened,
giggled and sometimes interjected a comment or two, but most importantly,
they listened.
Martha and Labron Hawk, currently our houseparents at the Dothan Group Home,
have been married 41 years. On December 26, 1959, around 6:00 p.m., they
went to their preacher's house to be married. Martha said she was nervous
and Labron was rushed to get there. He had to work that day. Labron and
Martha had known each other since the sixth grade. They lived in the same
community, went to the same church and had never dated anyone else. Labron
said, "I had my eye on her!"
By 1978, Labron and Martha had been married almost 20 years. They had two
beautiful children and life was settled, until Martha took a group of GAs to
the Alabama Baptist Children's Homes Troy campus for a tour. It was there
that God planted the seed in Martha's heart for the ministry. "Twice during
that visit, it was mentioned to our group that a pair of houseparents were
retiring and they needed houseparents to replace them," remembered Martha.
She couldn't forget it once she returned home.
After two more trips down to Troy as a family and much prayer, Labron led
his family into ministry service on February 10, 1979. As Owen and Betty
Greathouse retired, Labron and Martha Hawk moved into the very house Martha
had originally visited.
When asked " what has been the greatest challenge as a ministering couple,"
Adam, one of the teenagers living at the group home chimed in and said,
"me!" As the laughter died down, the Hawks related that learning to be
together all of the time was the biggest hurdle. Labron added that getting
their natural children to fit into the child care environment was their
second greatest challenge. "We wouldn't have made it all of this time if we
hadn't had a stable marriage," said Martha.
There have been so many challenges for the Hawks over the years, and yet,
it's the triumphs that they enjoy sharing. "Seeing the children succeed, you
know the ones that wouldn't have had a chance if they hadn't come to live
with us, is the greatest joy," said Martha. Helping change their lives,
seeing them make right choices and watching them become godly men and women
is why the Hawks continue to care for children.
Since 1979, Labron and Martha Hawk have cared for nearly 200 children in a
variety of locations. They have discovered that serving together has made
their marriage stronger. "We found out pretty quick that we had to be on the
same page," said Labron. They make all of their decisions together. They
have also realized that their marriage has influenced the children in their
care. Many of them have grown, married, and are raising their families in
solid, Christian homes. Many have called years later to say "Thank you" to
the Hawks for their care and their loving example.
"Times have changed so much since we got married," said Martha. "But my best
advice to anyone considering marriage is to love each other unconditionally,
try to be unselfish and let the Lord lead you every step of the way." Labron
and Martha Hawk are thankful that they've been able to spend all these years
together and they are praying for many more. |
