RICH: Jay, The Good Shepherd

Published 7:00 am Sunday, March 9, 2025

It is conventional wisdom that you should never do business with family. And, for the most part, that is probably true.

Unless, that family member is an honorable, God-fearing man like the one that my niece, Nicole, was wise enough to marry and bring into our family.

Let me tell you about doing business with Jay. For over 20 years, he has handled my investments then Tink’s since we married. He is ethical, smart and has done a dog-gone good job for us. He has never faltered. Whenever there is a storm in our family, he is calm in the center.

However, there is one investment that has been troublesome. Let me make a very long story short: I invested part of an inheritance that Tink had received and it wasn’t working out as expected. To get out of it, meant taking a loss. I’m from the mountains and we don’t take losses, even if we should. We ‘stay put.’

Mountain people are too stubborn for their own good.

Then came the day that made me wish I had city ways. Jay called and explained that the fund was down in value but it would work out.

“I wanted to give you a heads up,” Jay said.

Then the mail arrived with the statement. I opened the envelope and my heart crashed to my stomach. I called Jay. He reassured me that it would be OK.

“Really?”

“I think so.” He sounded a little less confident.

I couldn’t bring myself to tell Tink where my mountain stubbornness had landed his inheritance. For a month, I worried and carried that heavy burden on my shoulders. Finally, I decided to get mad at Jay. I was working my way through the stages of grief. Walking from the front of the Rondarosa toward the back — far from Tink’s hearing — I called Jay to rant.

I ended the tirade with, “And what really bothers me is that you’re not more upset about this than you are. I am sick to my stomach about having to tell Tink.”

From the other end of the phone, I heard him take a deep breath before speaking kindly. “Well, you’re wrong about me not being upset. I’m very upset about it. I have other clients in this fund. I pray about this every morning. To be truthful, what is helping me get through this is the promise of Psalms 23.”

I stopped my rapid pacing next to the pasture where the horses were grazing, unaware that there might not be a future filled with sweet feed for them.

“Psalms 23?”

“Yes. I’m reading a book that breaks it down line by line. Quite frankly, I know where I put my trust and it’s in a source much greater than anything on this earth.” My upset melted away, my heartbeat slowed and relief poured over me while Jay continued to recommend the book he was reading.

After returning to the kindred spirits that we two are, we said our good-byes then, with the dogs racing behind me, I marched back to the house to — finally — break the news to Tink.

Like Jay, Tink is a man of strong faith. Both study the Bible daily and hunger for a deeper understanding.

Showing no expression, Tink listened to my story that ended with Psalms 23. He didn’t ask how much the account was worth at that point. He shrugged then said, “That’s the kind of man I trust my money to. I’d trust him with every penny we have.” He smiled and walked across the floor but turned back.

He named a number. “Did it fall more than that?”

I swallowed and nodded. “A lot more.”

An ouch crossed his face before saying, “It’s OK.”

Jay and Tink were right. The good Lord came through for us in a mighty rush. Within five months, the account had returned to robust health.

And I had ordered “A Shepherd Looks at Psalms 23.”

—Ronda Rich is the best-selling author of the Stella Bankwell mysteries. Visit www.rondarich.com to sign up for her free weekly newsletter.