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I am writing this blog on May 27, 2009, forty-two years after our wedding. Last Tuesday, May 19, 2009, I was giving a message at Mary's Dad's funeral. All sorts of thoughts flooded my mind while being at the pulpit where we were married. I thought back to that night I first visited Salina Bible Church, as I sat by Mary. Unknown to her, I visualized our wedding. Then I remembered Mary's Dad giving her to me after walking her down the aisle. Now he was in heaven and his body lay in a casket where we declared our vows of intent to each other.
All of this reminded me of how important it is to live for the Lord and allow God to develop a legacy that honors Him. Today, 42 years later, we have 6 grown children and their mates seeking to raise their 23 children to walk with the Lord. God has been gracious!
Our wedding was a real answer to a long time prayer of mine for God's choice for me. Mary was beautiful! Francis Grubbs challenged us from Eph. 5 to live out the picture of a husband picturing Jesus Christ and His care for the church and a wife serving her husband as the church does Christ. I remember his prayer for us that God would bring the right balance of pain and pleasure, joy and sorrow, good days and difficult days into our lives in order to mold us into His image. Before he introduced us, he shared a poem somewhat as follows:
Two ships afloat on the sea of life,
Each launched from each its separate port.
Two lives, two lights and then they merge into a larger light.
One life, one light, to Glorify Thee O God.
We then sang a duet, "To Glorify Thee". It was very emotional for me. As we left Salina on the way to Hays for the night, I wept in gratitude to God.
Now, 42 years later, I am filled with gratitude to God for His grace to us. God blessed us with family. He has graciously brought us through storms that Satan intended for our destruction. Sunday, May 24, Mary and I sang "To Glorify Thee" in our service as a recommitment "to go the distance" for God.
To my Grandchildren: Be sure God is leading you to His choice for you. Then purpose by God's grace "to go the distance". Believe me, it is worth it. God be praised!
