That’s not my age, but it is the number of years I’ve been married this week. We met in Sunday School one morning when I was home from college. We both arrived early and began to visit. I should say, I began to visit. He was quiet and shy, but that never stopped me!
A few days later Mike sent his brother to see if I was available before he asked me for our first date. We went to see the powerful and heart breaking movie Sand Pebbles starring Steve McQueen, and to this day it is still one of my favorite movies. We sat on the front row of the balcony, which was a great seat, except that I began sobbing uncontrollably and Mike had to lead me out to keep me from falling over the edge of the balcony! I was so embarrassed that I turned down his request to go to dinner.
He had to courage to ask me out again and now we have been married forty two years. We have been blessed with our amazing daughter Michele and her husband, Michael, as well as three incredible grandchildren, Chelsea, Patrick, and Nicolas.
Tonight we are off to a special night that he has planned. If you know him, you might not guess that he is a romantic, and that is just one thing I love about him.
So here is my word for you to see you through to 42 years and beyond. Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends. 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 (NRSV)
While I have not lived up to these words, they have often turned me back toward love that looks forward and not back, encouraging the best and expecting the best. It is only as you choose to love that you will understand the depth of God’s love in Christ for us.
