It was a path she was unsure of in her heart but when Dianne Bentley’s husband felt called to run for governor of Alabama, all she could do was let God have control.
Bentley, a longtime member of First Baptist Church, Tuscaloosa, shared about her role as First Lady for the past four years with 102 participants at the Ministers’ Wives Luncheon on Feb. 25.
The event, sponsored by Alabama Woman’s Missionary Union, was held during the State Evangelism Conference at Eastmont Baptist Church, Montgomery.
Reflecting back to their life in Tuscaloosa prior to Gov. Robert Bentley’s election in 2009, Dianne Bentley said, “When I had control, I knew the way. My routine centered around my wonderful family and my relationship with the Lord. I thought I was leading a pretty good life.”
The campaign season was not always easy, she confessed, but “God was faithfully there … and God was in control. He sent me Scriptures and provided support.”
On Jan. 17, 2011, Bentley’s husband was inaugurated and the next day he went to work, she said. That left her at a new house called the Governor’s Mansion and in a new role. All along the way God has continually opened doors, she said, mentioning opportunities to advocate for literacy, victims of domestic violence and adoption/foster care.
She also noted how she helped create The First Lady Dianne Bentley Mansion Preservation Act, enacted in 2011, to help preserve the mansion’s contents and keep it “in proper historical condition.”
One of the hardest moments in the Bentleys’ time as governor and first lady was April 27, 2011, she noted.
“Tornadoes ravaged our state destroying homes, towns and lives,” Bentley said. “It was both a high and low experience for us. It was a low to see the destruction across the state but a high to see the wonderful people of Alabama who banned together and supported one another.”
And although she works daily for the people of Alabama, she said, “I still have to take care of my husband.”
In day-to-day life Bentley tries to be her husband’s protector of health and time, serve as his traveling companion and partner with him on their “spiritual journey.”
“My most important agenda of the day is to pray for my husband,” she said. “We are only here because God wanted us for such a time as this. I pray for (my husband’s) health … protection … and for wisdom and discernment.”
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