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30 Years
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shoes for him
for work or play
SHOES
ut before all that happened, Chip recalled the day Cody asked for permission
to do so. They were grilling burgers (a specialty) in the Scruggs backyard
when Cody “pleaded his case”. Of course, Anna’s dad said yes – he knew that Cody and
Anna were looking in the same direction and would make a lifelong commitment to
their marriage, with Christ at the center. After all, they had been dating for nearly five
years (it all began at a Marion Christmas Tree Lighting) and weren’t jumping into it without having first learned a great deal about each other and their respective families. The
engagement was simply a logical next step and, unlike the Father of the Bride movie
character, he had no reservations.
But just like the Father of the Bride, Chip began almost immediately to reminisce
about Anna’s childhood – her triumphs and her trials. When asked to describe her, he
simply said that she is the girl he’d want to marry if he were a guy her age. Of course,
she is beautiful, smart (without being obnoxious about it), musically talented, and is
grounded in unwavering faith. She fills their home with joy and laughter.
One particular period of Anna’s youth proved to be a trial and triumph rolled into one
difficult series of events. Both father and daughter agree that it was a pivotal and fully
God-centered time. In the spring of her 13th year, Anna was diagnosed with scoliosis
and faced surgery to fuse a portion of her spine, scheduled for December at MUSC. In the
same month as the diagnosis, Anna tried out for the Pee Dee Academy JV tennis team, as
a 7th grader. When she went to check the roster to find out if she had made the team, her
name was not listed. This would have been a double-whammy for Anna, except for one
detail – her name was not on the JV list because she had made the varsity team!
When she arrived at MUSC for her surgery, she was wearing a state tennis championship ring. Anna remembers having moments of doubt and quiet despair about her
diagnosis, but she quickly pulled herself out of the “Eeyore mode” with her dad’s words
of encouragement. During one of those early down times, her dad told her to have
faith – that she would be fine. Surgery would mean the end of scoliosis for her. And it
was. In fact, her attitude was so positive before, during, and after her surgery that her
doctor (who is invited to the wedding, by the way!) asked Anna to speak with another
young girl struggling with the same diagnosis and in need of some support. S