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TORKELSON: Ex-Bronco, wife rely on faith in hard times

By Jean Torkelson, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Published June 23, 2008 at 12:05 a.m.

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Haven Moses and his wife, Joyce, celebrate their 40th wedding anniversary Sunday at Elway's restaurant in Cherry Creek. Faith has gotten the former Broncos star and his wife through some tough times, especially his stroke several years ago.

Photo by George Kochaniec Jr. © The Rocky

Haven Moses and his wife, Joyce, celebrate their 40th wedding anniversary Sunday at Elway's restaurant in Cherry Creek. Faith has gotten the former Broncos star and his wife through some tough times, especially his stroke several years ago.

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Exactly 40 years ago Sunday, the bride clearly remembers thinking this: "How happy I am - I'm marrying the man of my dreams."

The thought has held true for Joyce Moses, who on June 22, 1968, married Haven Moses, the future Broncos wide receiver, who had caught her eye at a college party in San Diego.

On Sunday they celebrated happy 40 years together at - where else? - Elway's restaurant in Cherry Creek. OK, the good stuff came easy, like their now-grown sons, Bryan and Christopher. For the tough stuff, the couple relied on their Christian faith. That constant even has led Haven to a post-retirement career, today as development director for Denver Inner City Parish, a spiritual, social and educational center on the city's west side.

"We said the words - 'For better or worse' - but not until you're put to the test do you know what they mean," said Haven during an interview Friday in their stylishly contemporary home in downtown Denver. "We're glad if we can inspire others as others have inspired us."

At the start, like all couples, the whole better-worse package was concealed in beautiful, wedding-day wrappings. Laced among the good times would be the stress of celebrity, retirement fears and, in 2003, Haven's stroke, out of the blue.

Through it all, "we gravitated toward our faith for answers," Haven said. Joyce screwed up her pretty face into a fierce scowl: "I'm a bear-cat when it comes to family. I had faith that God had put us together for a reason."

With Haven distracted, on the road, Joyce was uneasy at home, alone with two little kids. She would get on her knees and pray, "God, let me know it will be OK."

It was. By Christmas 2002, the couple - Haven, then at the Archdiocese of Denver, she a senior sales associate at Hyde Park Jewelers - were celebrating life with a rare, extended visit to Southern California.

"We were just in a good place in our lives," Haven recalled. But he came back feeling "weak and punkish." In a few days, the strapping left-hander was paralyzed - on his left side. At his first try back on a golf course, "I sat down and cried."

"Let's pray for strength," Joyce told him. She said her faith wasn't only expressed in prayer but in treating her broken husband tenderly - doing sweet, small things, like cooking, say, his favorite catfish dinners.

Haven's prayer was to control his anger and frustration, which he sensed could kill their relationship: "It was a pride thing. I lost the ability to help my family . . . so I prayed for strength, and prayed for Joyce. I knew it was stressing her."

Recovery has come, leaving just some slowness on his left side. And the marriage endures, sweeter for all the challenges.

"You know, we really like each other," Haven said suddenly. Laughing, his bride agreed - "I'm so proud of us!" she said.

torkelsonj@RockyMountainNews.com or 303-954-5055

Comments

  • June 23, 2008

    5:51 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    christineaq writes:

    What a great story!! I too have Jesus Christ I can attest has brought me and my husband through tough times..I think we all struggle with anger, confusion, weakness and simply the drive to press on in life. Even Christians battle these human feelings and it truly takes a humble submissive person to admit it and then trust and lean on the Lord to give them the grace to get through.
    Thank you for the encouraging article. I'm a fan of Haven and honestly didn't know he was a believer. What a nice bit of joy to have read this this morning!!

    Christine

  • June 23, 2008

    8:01 a.m.

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    Scott writes:

    Congrates to the Haven's on their 40th! This is a beautiful story about a couple and their enduring love and faith.

    Scott

  • June 23, 2008

    8:41 a.m.

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    1968camaro writes:

    Awesome story, Congrats on your 40 years.

  • June 23, 2008

    8:59 a.m.

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    Oh_Wise_One writes:

    Freethought- George Carlin will be finding out he was wrong about God, it's not too late for you.

  • June 23, 2008

    9:03 a.m.

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    tm3869 writes:

    Beautiful, just beautiful!

  • June 23, 2008

    9:18 a.m.

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    Scott writes:

    freethought,

    Why do you show up to inspiring stories and emulate a pigeon? This is a great story about two people who have stuck together through thick and thin and still love each other.

    Get a life.

    Scott

  • June 23, 2008

    10:33 a.m.

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    Scott writes:

    freethought,

    Where did I mention anything about "pious"? The overall tone of the story is about the love of a husband and wife. Yes, they find strength through their faith. Fine, that is their pillar. Others find strength via other means. Again, the overall tone of the story is about the love of a husband and wife.

    I'm Presbyterian, it's O.K. for us to have sex AND have a sense of humor. You obviously suffer from the ailment that many atheists suffer. "All Christians think the same." Nope, we are not all the same. Most protestant denominations actually allow members to think for themselves. It's call "priesthood of all believers." I know, I know, that is not what your fellow atheists told you.

    Scott

  • June 23, 2008

    10:37 a.m.

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    urnfndbag writes:

    Scott,

    You say not all christians are alike and then paint atheists as being all alike. That's fantastic. Truly fantastic.

  • June 23, 2008

    10:44 a.m.

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    InsGuru720 writes:

    Way to write some Christian Propaganda into the news! Good Job RMN. When there is no news, you give the sheep what they want to read. Congrats on a 40 year marriage, but Jesus Christ himself had no personal hand in it. Give more credit to the story tellers who made up all the magic behind Jesus who was a normal man with a greater social conscience than most of us.

  • June 23, 2008

    11:27 a.m.

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    OhBrother writes:

    InsGuru720- I'm sorry but you seem like your lost to me. It's not "Christian Propaganda" that brought this story out. It is faith and if faith has gotten them through hard times then who are you to question? I don't see them using this a soap box for Christ or bashing atheist, they are saying what has worked for there 40 years. This is about love and the test of time. I don't personally get the whole sky fairy thing but I also don't get offended when people mention Christ or praise him. Do you and I will do me - just keep it out of capital and the white house is all I ask but this story has nothing to do with that...

  • June 23, 2008

    12:36 p.m.

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    fluxtube writes:

    freethought writes:
    "why are you so pious here"

    Why are you?

  • June 23, 2008

    1:31 p.m.

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    Retread writes:

    Happy forty years to them both. However they have been blessed, and had very few hard times. I am sure some would call just going to the golf course a luxury!

    A Crow Chief once had two preachers courting him to convert to their faith. One was Baptist and one was Lutheran. They both showed up at the Chiefs house at the same time at the Chiefs request. The Chief then told them "I want you both to figure out which one of your religions are best, then I and my tribe will convert".....They left his home argueing and never came back..

  • June 23, 2008

    5:27 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    Who_Me writes:

    Why does God hate amputees so much? Don't you think plenty of them have prayed like, well, Hell, and to what end? Nothing. Maybe none of them have Jesus enough. Whatever. Let's pray to the zombie-like figure just in case.