A Forever Love

“Therefore shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.”  Genesis 2:24

On September 21, 1940, 78 years ago, my Mom and Dad were married.  They didn’t have a big, expensive wedding like couples do today, that is, if they actually make their vows to one another in a public setting before loved ones and friends, making a solid commitment to love and cherish one another.  My parents were married at the preacher’s house.  I don’t know if they had a honeymoon or not, but I doubt they did.  Money was scarce, and lots of people were poor.  But one thing they did have was a real love for one another.

In 1942 my Mom was expecting their first child, and my Dad was drafted into the army.  After basic training he was sent to Guadal Canal in the South Pacific where the fighting was intense during World War II.  While my Dad was serving his country, my Mom’s baby arrived but was stillborn.  My mom suffered from toxemia causing her to be blind and unable to walk for a time.  She had improved somewhat by the time my Dad was discharged from the army, but the war experience gave him a tremor in his hands that he carried throughout his life.

A few years later, my Dad worked as a dough mixer for a bakery, and my Mom had recovered from her illness.  They bought a little house in the northern part of the state, and were able to adopt a four month old baby who had been born to an unwed teenager.  That four month old baby was me.  I am grateful that my biological mother was strong and unselfish enough to appreciate that the life within her was worth the inconvenience, pain, and shame that she would experience as she carried me to term.  I am very thankful for her sacrifice which gave my parents the opportunity to have a child since my Mom was no longer able to bear a child.  My Mom always told me that I was special because I was chosen.

At the age of 49, my Mom had a massive stroke which caused her to be disabled.  She could get around with a walker, but eventually she depended on a wheelchair.  My Dad took care of her for 30 years until he had by-pass surgery at age 82.  He was also showing signs of dementia.  At that time, my Mom had to go into a nursing home.  My husband and I took my Dad to see her every Sunday.  She passed away on Christmas Day 2001.  Even as my Dad’s memory faded, he would still say that he missed my Mom everyday.  My Dad passed away one year and eight months after the death of my Mom.

This brief history of my folks is a tribute to them for the example of love and devotion that they displayed throughout the 61 years that they were married.  When my Mom and Dad took their marriage vows, they took them seriously.  They exemplified what God intended for marriage to be, one flesh where a husband and wife become such a part of one another, it’s almost like they become one person.  This kind of commitment is rare today.

My folks were able to endure the hardships of life together because they put Christ at the center of their marriage.  Perhaps the exclusion of Christ is the reason so many marriages are falling apart today.   To have a long lasting, loving marriage requires unselfishness, understanding, humility ,and a sense of humor, but most of all it requires a relationship with the Creator of the marriage institution through His Son Jesus Christ.  “…a threefold cord is not quickly broken.”  Ecclesiastes 4:12(b).