Saturday I will attend a funeral visitation for a man whose life truly reflects the biblical concept of marriage. He and his wife were married for seventy two years. It all started many years ago when a young man and woman met, fell in love, and married just before her high school graduation. He was destined for military action overseas during World War II and they wanted to be married before his departure. She would live with her parents for three years, receiving maybe one letter a month from her new husband. Today, the military are able to call and view families thousands of miles away--but not this couple.
Their love continue after he returned, and he enrolled in school and she went to work. They were blessed with two sons and a promising career in education. He would work with children who did not have loving homes and still to this time, former children now in their sixties would seek both of them out for the love and attention they had given to them decades ago.
When she asked him if they should renew their vows on their 50th anniversary, he said no. His reasoning was they had worked the first time and indeed they did. This couple struggled together in the loss of one son, medical issues for her early in their marriage and for him in the final years. I was amazed hearing the stories of faith in God, trust in each other, and a conviction to help those in need. Where did this come from? It came from their total faith in God and his Son, Jesus Christ.
I would not be doing the service, but if I had been asked, I would speak of how this marriage had been an influence on others these past years. It was modeled after Jesus' love for his bride, the Church. Jesus will one day come to his bride and they will live together for eternity. There marriage revealed a trust in God even with the loss of a child. They had taken the words of Christ of loving your neighbor by tenderly caring for other children. They still held hands in the facility and she would feed him. They lived the vows given seventy two years ago "in sickness and in health...".
When he passed away, she was right beside him. We had prayer last week and she and I were both supported by our faith of the resurrection. He is no longer here and while she awaits for her Savior in the time to come, if will be with both sadness and thankfulness. Even her own mother had told her there was not a finer man on this earth.
A few years ago the book and movie Love Story featured a couple where the wife died and the husband reconciled with his father with the line, "Love is never having to say your sorry." This love story was for a lifetime, but for the believer in Jesus Christ, our love story is forever.
Their love continue after he returned, and he enrolled in school and she went to work. They were blessed with two sons and a promising career in education. He would work with children who did not have loving homes and still to this time, former children now in their sixties would seek both of them out for the love and attention they had given to them decades ago.
When she asked him if they should renew their vows on their 50th anniversary, he said no. His reasoning was they had worked the first time and indeed they did. This couple struggled together in the loss of one son, medical issues for her early in their marriage and for him in the final years. I was amazed hearing the stories of faith in God, trust in each other, and a conviction to help those in need. Where did this come from? It came from their total faith in God and his Son, Jesus Christ.
I would not be doing the service, but if I had been asked, I would speak of how this marriage had been an influence on others these past years. It was modeled after Jesus' love for his bride, the Church. Jesus will one day come to his bride and they will live together for eternity. There marriage revealed a trust in God even with the loss of a child. They had taken the words of Christ of loving your neighbor by tenderly caring for other children. They still held hands in the facility and she would feed him. They lived the vows given seventy two years ago "in sickness and in health...".
When he passed away, she was right beside him. We had prayer last week and she and I were both supported by our faith of the resurrection. He is no longer here and while she awaits for her Savior in the time to come, if will be with both sadness and thankfulness. Even her own mother had told her there was not a finer man on this earth.
A few years ago the book and movie Love Story featured a couple where the wife died and the husband reconciled with his father with the line, "Love is never having to say your sorry." This love story was for a lifetime, but for the believer in Jesus Christ, our love story is forever.
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