Friends are doing God’s work
Our community is full of people doing extraordinary things we rarely hear about. Maybe it is the reason I was given the opportunity to write each week. It is an honor to share stories about others doing God’s work without the expectation of recognition.
Brian Collett married Tina Caylor February 9, 1985. I have known Tina since my high school days. When they tied the knot, she became family. Their marriage would last for 32 years until Brian’s passing on February 11, 2017. Like most marriages, they had good and bad times. If you can show me a marriage without difficulties or arguments, I will show you a marriage where one party is taking a lot from the other party.
Brian was a Harley Davidson rider. He had many hobbies during his life. It was this one which would change the course of his life. On October 8, 2009, Brian had an accident on his motorcycle which caused him severe injuries. He was taken to Kennestone Hospital where he came close to dying a couple of times. The results of this accident would confine him to a wheelchair for the remainder of his life. For nearly eight years, his life consisted of sitting in the chair needing help with many day-to-day functions. Tina was there every day being a wife and a nurse. She could have walked away. Some people would have. She stayed.
Tina still stays in touch. I will hear from her occasionally on special dates related to her and Brian. She told me the other day that she will always love him because he was the love of her life. Her career with N.J. Wilbanks Contractor started 22 years ago in 1999. It is a successful local business which was started by N.J. and Wava Wilbanks many years ago. Time has given me the honor of worshipping with Mr. and Mrs. Wilbanks at Chalcedonia Baptist, and their church, Oakdale Baptist. Mr. Wilbanks served as a deacon of the church until his passing on May 28, 2010. He was always kind to me.
The company is now owned and operated by Mr. and Mrs. Wilbanks’s sons, Chris, and Kip. They have continued a legacy their Daddy would be proud of, and their Mama still is. Tina told me when Brian had his accident, it was during the downturn in the economy. She said it would have been easy for them to let her go, but that is not who they are. They told her to take all the time she needed for as long as she needed. Her job was secure. She said in her absence, her good friends and co-workers, Lynne Day, and Lisa Fowler, took up the slack.
The Wilbanks did more than pay her while she was out taking care of her husband. They also had some of their employees go to Brian and Tina’s house and clear a driveway and concrete a parking pad to make it easier for her to get Brian in and out of the house. These things are not usually required for an employer to do. According to Tina, the Wilbanks have never treated her like an employee. They have treated her like family. When Tina’s dog died, Mrs. Wilbanks called her and offered to buy her another dog when she was ready for one.
The Wilbankses have built a good business in which God has richly blessed. They have taken those blessings and shared them with others in need. Tina said something which overshadowed all of this. She said she cannot count the times Kip walked into her office and prayed for her. He is her boss. His actions show he is her friend. His prayers solidify he is more than her boss and friend. He is her brother in Christ.
I like to think God will give Tina a special blessing for the care she took with Brian. She would also take the same care with her parents before they passed. Those who know the story understand the love she gave to them all. I also like to think the Lord will give a special blessing to the Wilbanks family for the love they showed to her during several difficult years. For every prayer Kip prayed in her office, it is easy to imagine Mr. Wilbanks letting out a little shout in heaven. While the Wilbanks family is well-known in our community for their business and civic involvement, it is their involvement with Jesus Christ I hope I have shared with you!