I don’t write about my husband on such a personal level very often. He’s a private man and doesn’t care to have me tooting his horn. I do it as often as I can though – I’m very proud of him and honored to be his wife.

I am writing this entry with Jon’s reluctant permission. He hopes that you will see the bigger picture and not just his wife’s biased opinion of him. I say – see my man for who he is – a really terrific guy with a generous heart.

Several years ago, Jon invested in a business with energy and optimism. Instead of a return on his funds or encouragement from the company leaders, he received years full of loss and struggle.

It started as soon as he was official with the company. An ominous phone call came from one of their employees warning us about the true nature of the company and included a personal warning to me about the dangers of being involved with a mafia-like organization. Jon was on a business trip for his much more stable and profitable job with American Family Insurance when the call came. I was told to be aware of my surroundings at all times and the caller warned that being alone wasn’t in my best interest. When I tried to reconnect with this source later, he was suddenly missing in action. (This man later dropped off the face of the earth – even private and state investigators could not find him.)

Jon worked to have the company honor their promises and then with no choices left, he took them to court. He put up a valiant battle across several state lines and for a few years. Jon worked harder building his AFI agency so he could pay off his loan and support us. He did both in a very short period of time, but hiring an attorney wasn’t possible for most of this engagement. So, in what little spare time he had, he went to the local law library and with great courage and dignity, he represented himself.

While he often won in court, getting payment proved impossible. At one point, a judge over turned her decision originally in Jon’s favor although she admitted it was with great hesitancy that she did so.  A win became a loss.

Finally, the battle went to Texas. Worn out, Jon called a local attorney who said he’d look at the case and get back to him. Jon hired the attorney, sent him all his information, and boarded a plane.

While in the air, the attorney called me. He wanted to know where Jon got his law degree – he’d rarely seen such detailed and excellent work. When I told him Jon’s story, the guy was not only impressed, for some reason, he was moved.

When Jon arrived in Texas, the law office had cleared out an office for him to use and had called together a team of lawyers to guide Jon through the next steps. They met him at the courthouse – yes, they. The whole law office was on board.

This time, he met his nemesis face to face.

 Jon’s efforts made it impossible for this man to legally do business in at least three states, and a very small settlement was offered. My weary warrior accepted. He’d fought for his rights honestly and with integrity, but he was done.

The man I married honored God,, impressed judges (they said so!), attorneys (they said so too!), and me. Then, my tenacious, but tender husband made another decision: he spent that  small settlement on three kids who wanted to go to Disney World.

What the lawyers, his opponent, and those Jon blessed didn’t hear were the prayers said for this guy. My husband fought a worthy legal battle against the man who literally robbed him of tens of thousands of dollars and he also fought for the man. Jon didn’t assume his enemy wasn’t saved, he simply prayed if he wasn’t, he would be. Then, Jon went a step farther and came up with a way to share his faith personally with the man.

Jon was and is a living testimony of Matthew 5:43-45 (NKJV) to me.  He’s also my hero.

⁴³ “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ ⁴⁴ But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, ⁴⁵ that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.