Yesterday, my parents celebrated 41 years of marriage. That amazes me. And inspires me. And overwhelms me a bit too. But it also helps me remember that marriage is like a tapestry. It's a product of patient and faithful weaving of lives and ideas and wills and hearts, all with one common purpose of expanding HIS kingdom and being more like Jesus and less like me. It's about tying off my selfish desires and joining threads with the one God has given me. It's about taking the focus off the color that my threads can bring to this life and thinking about how HIS picture can be presented in the partnership in which He has placed me. One stage of life at a time. One day at a time.
You see, I'm a big picture thinker. I love to plan for the future, think about where I want to be and who I want to be "someday." I like that about myself, and I am content that this is how God has wired me. But when I look at my parents' marriage, I realize that it can't be all about the somedays. Much of the hard work that goes into making marriage last and thrive in the lasting is about the todays.
For example, my mother was great about reminding us to be grateful for today, that today is a gift. That how we use today can and will change our tomorrows. And that we look for opportunities to change someone else's today by a kind word or act of service toward their needs.
Dad was adamant that today not be wasted: that we think carefully about the choices we make today; that we point ourselves in the direction of the Cross, today. And that the choices we make today will impact our tomorrow, . . . and our kids' tomorrows, . . . and their kids' tomorrows. That today can change history.
Together, they have beautifully woven their todays into a wonderful and bright tomorrow. They have the tomorrow because they paid attention to the todays. This tomorrow tapestry has for 41 years created a safety net and covering, not just for us four kids, but also now for our spouses and their grandkids. And through it all, they've been weaving this beautiful, safe, and warm blanket that also covers a church family whom they have served faithfully and diligently for over 25 years of todays.
I am supremely confident that what they have done in these 41 years of marriage will stand the test of time and that their faithful todays are impacting lives for eternity. They are changing todays, one day at a time. In their faithfulness to God and to each other, they have changed the course of our eternity. They have given us the gift of tomorrows.
Happy 41st Anniversary, Mom and Dad! You are an inspiration to me and I am grateful for your beautifully woven life in service to each other and to your God.
You see, I'm a big picture thinker. I love to plan for the future, think about where I want to be and who I want to be "someday." I like that about myself, and I am content that this is how God has wired me. But when I look at my parents' marriage, I realize that it can't be all about the somedays. Much of the hard work that goes into making marriage last and thrive in the lasting is about the todays.
For example, my mother was great about reminding us to be grateful for today, that today is a gift. That how we use today can and will change our tomorrows. And that we look for opportunities to change someone else's today by a kind word or act of service toward their needs.
Dad was adamant that today not be wasted: that we think carefully about the choices we make today; that we point ourselves in the direction of the Cross, today. And that the choices we make today will impact our tomorrow, . . . and our kids' tomorrows, . . . and their kids' tomorrows. That today can change history.
Together, they have beautifully woven their todays into a wonderful and bright tomorrow. They have the tomorrow because they paid attention to the todays. This tomorrow tapestry has for 41 years created a safety net and covering, not just for us four kids, but also now for our spouses and their grandkids. And through it all, they've been weaving this beautiful, safe, and warm blanket that also covers a church family whom they have served faithfully and diligently for over 25 years of todays.
I am supremely confident that what they have done in these 41 years of marriage will stand the test of time and that their faithful todays are impacting lives for eternity. They are changing todays, one day at a time. In their faithfulness to God and to each other, they have changed the course of our eternity. They have given us the gift of tomorrows.
Happy 41st Anniversary, Mom and Dad! You are an inspiration to me and I am grateful for your beautifully woven life in service to each other and to your God.
4 comments:
What an awesome heritage! It is so neat to recognize the impact of godly parents on the generations.
WOW. That's so neat. I wonder what Not-So-Classic and I will be like when we celebrate our 41st...Probably the same ;)
What a wonderful tribute to your parents - and what an amazing example of Godly parents to emulate. My parents were married for 35 years and it was amazing to see how their love and committment got stronger every year.
That was a beautiful tribute to your parents and a reminder to all of us to be mindful of our todays as well.
My parents will be celebrating their 40th anniversary, and it is so beautiful to see how they are so in love with each other. I am so thankful for an example like that!
I am looking forward to many years of weaving my tapestry with my hunny!
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