STILL IN LOVE AFTER 40 YEARS OF BEING MARRIED

Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, (Ephesians 5:25 ESV)

I've been maried over 40 years to the same woman  (Denise) of whom I met while I was in High School. Her family started attending our church one Sunday and the rest is history.  I noticed her when she walked through the doors of the church and haven't taken my eyes off of her since.  When we eventually got married -  at that time we had no clue about where our journey would take us and the situations and people that we would encounter along the way.  We had to learn to trust in God to lead us and help us with every decision and difficulty that we would encounter.  We made a lot of mistakes but daily we discovered that the the mercies of The Lord are fresh and new and available to us every day. Our journey has taken us many places and we had the opportunity to pastor four wonderful churches along the way and have met the most wonderful people who are now are friends.  Our daughters have brought us much blessing and our grandkids have been like the topping on the ice cream.  As I look back I feel like a very blessed man.

I remember before I got married that my dad had the"talk" with me about marriage and love.  He talked to me about loving your wife in the same manner as Christ loved the church.  I was told that  it wasn't a  perfect church that He loved but one that was filled with many flaws and imperfections.  In fact, the scriptures tell us that He loved the church so much that He "gave himself up for her."  My dad modeled that in the way he treated and loved my mom and I have always tried to  model that in my life in the way that I've treated Denise.  I have often failed and I've made many mistakes along the way.  There have been many great days but there have also been some very difficult days because of the struggles of life and the struggles of two walking together in agreement along the same road.  What I've discovred along the way is this: The struggles are what make you strong.  The difficulties are what define you and help you to understand what it is that you really believe.

I look back over the 40 years and realize that a lot has changed and much is still the same.  The problems and difficulties might have different faces but the same God who was with me in the beginning is the same God is daily helps me now.  I am quicker to bring my needs before God and I find comfort in the fact that Denise and I can still reach out our hands together and often even with words unsaid to know that we can do whatever is before us with help and strength of God Almighty.  

I look forward to what lies ahead.  I am committed to loving and walking with Denise to the end of our lives together - that my kids and grandkids and even my church will look at me and say, "That's the way I want to live my life - that's the model that I want to emulate" in my marriage."  I pray that I would never fail my wife, my kids, my grandkids or my church in this regard.  Amen.