Today my hubby and I celebrated 25 years together. Silver anniversary, they call it. Sounds old. So does "quarter of a century."We celebrated it with a spa day for both of us. I'm so relaxed right now I can hardly type!
When my pedicurist learned the reason I was there, her brown eyes widened. "Wow! Twenty-five years. I don't think I know anybody who's been married twenty-five years."
She was in her early thirties, with an eight-year-old daughter to raise alone. I watched the top of her shiny brown hair as she worked on my feet and felt sad for her.
What kind of a legacy are we leaving this next generation that they haven't seen a successful marriage?
Marriage is now touted as a quaint ritual for the "traditionally-minded," a gamble at best, but certainly not "until death do us part." And don't get me started on the "new definitions" that some would like to give marriage, as though the legal joining of any two entities should define what was clearly created to be only between one man and one woman.
So with all the argument, wouldn't it be better to just live together? Wouldn't the eventual split be easier on everyone?
That last question holds the key to the problem. We've come to assume that nothing lasts forever, and unfortunately not much does. Everyone knows products fall apart quicker than they used to. Families join, break apart, rejoin, move...a continuous evolution that often ignores bonds and hearts.
No wonder it's nearly impossible for many to get their minds around the concept of God and eternity. After all, marriage was God's object lesson to help us understand his relationship with us. It's a picture of the everlasting love Christ has for his church. Looks like we're messing up the picture.
How can we truly believe that God loves us for all eternity when we don't have any concept of a relationship that endures forever?
So look around this week. Do you know many couples who've been successfully married for nearly forever? Next time you see one, tell them "Thanks for the picture."
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1 comment:
So true Lea Ann.. sadly so. The world doesn't know many examples of families really sticking with it through the good and the bad and coming out still in one piece.
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