My parents were married almost 59 years when my Daddy had to go see Jesus. He and my Mom were just teenagers when they married. Daddy was 19 and Momma was 18. Two kids that grew up together. When they took their vows all those years ago, they meant them...and they meant them for life and whatever that entailed. They faced difficulties, crop failure, loss of loved ones, sick kids, all of the day to day issues that the rest of face. They were not super-heros (well, I guess to me they were), but they stood by their word. They had made those vows......For better or worse, in sickness and in health, till death do us partand they meant them. There was no going back, they were committed. It was a beautiful love story.
In the end, when Daddy's condition was getting worse. She stood by his side. She got up with him at night and stayed with him until he went back to sleep. She got tired I am sure, she prayed for healing I know. She never gave up on him, she never acted as if it was burden on her to care for him. She was his companion. And, she was with him when he took his last breath. She was devoted to the end.
That to me, is true love....true love does not run in the face of adversity, true love does not give up on you, and even though the body grows weary, true love will keep standing by your side, doing the things for you that cannot do for yourself, picking you up when you need it, helping you stand when you cannot, it is the shoulder you lean on when life gets too much, and it is the hand you reach for when you need to know you are not alone......
Today's Vow: To Walk Through This Life With You
The Challenge: If your husband is sick, troubled or weary be a companion that remains by his side. And if not? If all is going well in your lives? Praise God for the blessings upon you.
Walking this journey with you,
Regina
This is beautiful! It's truly sad that so many people break their vows when the going gets tough. We have this prevalent philosophy today that life is about "Whatever makes ME happy. What do I want to do? I DESERVE this, etc." I think that selfish mindset is destroying families.
ReplyDeleteI agree! I think people are so caught up on what will make ME happy, instead of, "what can I do to make you happy?" That's how our grandparents, even my parents (they are older) treated eachother. Its about the family unit....not ME.
DeleteI agree Elisabet! We have to realize that circumstances and happiness does not make us fall in and out of love...it is a commitment.
Deleteand yes Beth...it is about the family unit! We have to get a view of the bigger picture here. What we do affects our children, and their children, and so on down the line
DeleteThis reminds me so much of my Grandparents. They were married 45 years when Grandpa went home to be with Jesus. I never saw any 2 people love each other as much as those 2.
ReplyDeleteThank you for the reminder of keeping this important vow!
That is awesome that you have that picture of true love from your grandparents. You are blessed!
DeleteBeautiful post!! My grandparents taught me that a marriage is a marriage, once you're in, there's no way out. Thanks for sharing this.
ReplyDeleteThanks! We need more of that teaching today, but we need it modeled out in our own marriages so that we are showing the next generation what it looks like.
DeleteI learned from my parents, they were married for 48 years when my dad passed away and my mom passed away almost 2 years to the day of my dad. They were always there for each, through good and bad times, losing a child " my sister" and everything in between. My parents never spoke of divorce, my dad never walked out on my mom. They talked about their problems. They were best friends. This was a wonderful post. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteThat is awesome Kelly! I love what you said about your Dad never walked out on your Mom....so many times today, at the first argument we have people packing their bags wanting to move out....it can not be that way.
DeleteThis is a great reminder about what marriage really means and how hardship shouldn't interfere with the commitment you made, not only to one another, but also to God. I believe that marriage is meant to be forever and your grandparents' commitment to one another will last beyond this life!
ReplyDeleteThank you for those encouraging words Helena! I think people forget that they made that vow not only to each other but to God....
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