Fifteen years ago my husband, Ron Hitchcock, and I moved to Southlake from Rockwall, Texas, where we attended Holy Trinity by the Lake Episcopal Church for 29 years. Our daughter had become concerned about our increasing ages (even then!) and expressed concern that something eventually would happen to one of us requiring her help, and we lived too far away. It was a difficult decision, as we had formed many friendships in Rockwall and were quite active in the church, where at various times one or both of us served on the Vestry, as Treasurer, served in Cursillo in Dallas, sang in the Choir, served as Eucharistic Ministers, Senior Warden, and other activities. We eventually decided to sell our house in Rockwall and move to be closer to her and her family, ending up adding an apartment to her home. Two years later her third child was born much to everyone’s surprise and delight. Then I knew why God had inspired us to move here. I retired from work as a manufacturer’s rep and became Alex’s caregiver from birth while her Mother (a nurse) and Dad continued their careers. This was a joyful change for me.
When we decided to move I cried for three months every time I was at church. Reverend Gayland Poole, whom some of you knew, was supplying at Holy Trinity one of those Sundays and noticed my distress. He came over to me after the service and asked what the matter was. I talked to him about moving to the Fort Worth area and my concern about finding a new church home. His suggestion was that we visit St. Martin-in-the-Fields. How right he was! This was another time that I received a very direct answer from God, through Gayland. When we visited, we met Flo Lowrey, Father Frank and Susan Reeves, and several other people who made us feel very welcome. We have become as involved and attached, and blessed by St. Martin’s as we ever were at Holy Trinity.
One of the many blessings God has showered on my life was discovering the Episcopal Church at St. James in Lake Highlands, in my twenties. I had been baptized and confirmed in the Roman Catholic Church in New Mexico as a young teen. After divorcing, I felt quite separated from the church then, but my prayers for direction were answered in such a positive way.
When I reflect on all the good that has been poured out on me in this lifetime of 76 years, I could never give enough money, time or talent to begin to pay for the bounty of Grace and good in my life provided by God, starting with answered prayers for direction in my 20’s, leading me to discover the Episcopal Church. Gratitude for the many gifts of care and comfort for each other, celebrating the wonderful and enduring the terrible times living life brings to everyone, and reaching out to spread the Gospel by example, being the heart, hands and feet of Christ to others inside and out of our church are some of the reasons I support our church financially. My hope is our collective gratitude for all the blessings God gives us, even during this terrible pandemic which has kept us apart physically, will preserve and protect this Church so we can provide its continued blessings to God’s people in the future. Carpe Diem!
A little more about Marty Hitchcock
Hello, Friends. I’m Marty Hitchcock, a member of St. Martin-in-the-Fields since 2005. My career was a combination of wholesales of lines of gift ware and decorative accessories, and office/showroom management. For the last thirteen years I’ve been retired and enjoyed every minute of caring for my last-born granddaughter, and participating in many activities at St. Martin’s.
Stewardship Minute: Marty Hitchcock
