Celebration Day

There we were, fifty years ago, with new wedding bands.  His disappeared not too many years later.  In heavy highway construction, it’s not a good idea to wear them.  Unfortunately, somewhere along the way, his was lost.  Mine wore on the sides from the engagement ring.  I still have them but wear another that fits enlarged arthritic knuckles.  Neither one of us could photograph our hands now and pretend to be that young couple. 

The Bible is open to the book of Ruth.

And Ruth said, Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God: (Ruth 1:16 KJV)

That verse is so often used for newlyweds – but it was said by one widow to another, daughter-in-law to mother-in-law.  The spiritual love that ties people together beyond physical desires.  Meaningful in any relationship.

Fifty years – and it’s not really a select group.  Pastor mentioned our Saturday celebration last Sunday night.  He then asked those in our church who had been married 50 years or more to raise their hands. Yes, we have a large number of such couples. 

This isn’t as rare as it seems.  There will be a video Second Daughter prepared showing her asking us questions.  “How have you stayed married so long?” was one of them.  First answer would be, we wanted to.  There are others who want to, but don’t make it, so that’s not a sufficient answer.

Best answer is, the family that has God in the middle, with both spouses seeking His will, has the best plan for success.  Each drawing themselves toward God brings them closer to each other, too. It is often illustrated as a triangle:

See what we mean?  It takes both the husband and the wife working within God’s will, moving spiritually toward Him, and it will not only keep them together, it will bring them closer to each other.

We didn’t do that all of our lives.  I think back to missed opportunities, some times when we felt far apart.  Those can never be revisited, never changed and there are consequences.  There came a time, however, when this illustration depicted our lives and we moved forward from there.  There were wonderful changes!

Today, Saturday, June 4, 2011, we’ll gather with family and friends in the afternoon to celebrate.  There are many reasons people do not achieve this anniversary, but there are no reasons why the triangle isn’t a good plan in working toward that achievement.

So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.  (Genesis 1:27 KJV)

And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female, And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh? Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder. (Matthew 19:4-6 KJV)