Wormwood, The parasite of liquid bitterness, was gone. But I knew I wouldn't see financial freedom and/or prosperity during Tom's lifetime, but I also knew the curse wouldn't be passed down to my children.
Tom began to lose everything he had invested in his time and talents and money. He lost years of autobody memorabilia, tools, machinery, guns and collectable cars. He lost the Model T his dad bought 46 years earlier that he bought for him and Tom to work on together, because Tom was into cars though his dad wasn't. Tom's dad died a week later in 1961, after the maiden voyage of the newly purchased 1927 Model T.
During our marriage, Tom would put money into rebuilding the model T while I was having to go to the food bank to feed the children and bills often went unpaid. It was common for us to have the power or water turned off or the phone disconnected. Tom would borrow money but seldom remember to pay it back. I had no ablity to influence him to the positive and I became very angry and full of rage. I sank into hopelessness. The Holy Spirit became my husband, my protector, provider, my friend.
During the last few years of his life, Tom lost many collectables he had bought and fixed up through the years. He had to let go of guns to a pawn broker. He sold his 1947 Indian Motorcycle to a dear friend of the family, Marty, a serrogate brother. He "lost" 1000 art lithographs of the Spruce Goose each with the 5 signatories of the original cockpit members during the maiden voyage (except Howard Hughes, of course). Each print would retail for $1200 unframed. I am not sure Tom was too aware of all he lost but the last year of his life he proclaimed, "I know it was God's will I lost the beach house and all my business inventory. Blessed be the Name of God." The glory God received from Tom finishing the race of his life well, is incomprehensible. Tom not only finished the race well; his homecoming was a gloriously glorious celebration.
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