Frank and Nancy... and Ava, and Mia, and Barbara

“He owned you, O my soul, in your poverty and shame—never be so treacherous as to be ashamed of Him.” – C.H. Spurgeon

It is no secret that I am a huge Frank Sinatra fan. Although I could listen to “Ol’ Blue Eyes” sing 24/7, I am not as much a fan of his personal life. Sure, he was extremely generous with his friends and even some people he didn’t know who had pressing financial needs. And yes, he raised a lot of money for various charities by performing pro bono concerts around the world.

However, just like the rest of us, Francis Albert Sinatra had a lot of faults as well as some serious character flaws. Along with smoking and drinking (he favored Jack Daniels on the rocks), one of his biggest weaknesses was women.

Frank married his longtime girlfriend, Nancy Barbato, at Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic Church in Jersey City, NJ on February 4, 1939. Unfortunately, his rising fame led to a score of extramarital affairs – most notably with actresses like Marilyn Maxwell and Lana Turner – especially after the family moved to California so Frank could pursue his blossoming movie career. When Frank became romantically involved with Ava Gardner and the gossip magazines started reporting on it, Nancy finally had enough and after a year-long separation, they were divorced in 1951.

A month later, Frank married Gardner, but their volatile marriage dissolved in 1957 after which he seriously dated Lauren Bacall and Juliet Prowse before marrying for the third time in 1966. Mia Farrow, his 21-year-old bride, was 29 years younger than Sinatra and very career-oriented, two factors that led to their divorce in 1968. Frank then married his fourth and final wife, Barbara Marx, in 1976 and their marriage lasted until his death in 1998.

The reason I used Frank Sinatra’s love life as an illustration is simple: he was faithful to Nancy until fame and fortune got in the way, making him susceptible to sexual temptations. And yet, we are all like that to some degree. Maybe a pretty girl or a handsome guy doesn’t turn our heads, but business and/or financial success may get in the way of our once close relationship with God… and that is the point of Charles Spurgeon’s quote at the top of today’s devotional message.

Remember, Israel’s wisest man (Solomon), greatest king (David), and strongest hero (Samson) all fell in similar fashion, so let that be a wake-up call for all of us.

"But I have this against you: You have abandoned your first love. Therefore, keep in mind how far you have fallen. Repent and perform the deeds you did at first. But if you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place.” Revelation 2:4-5 (BSB)

• Rev. Dale M. Glading, President