Tuesday, March 25, 2008

Weekly Marriage Builder


Dear ,
This week my parents will celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary. My dad jokes and says he can't remember if he was born first or married first.
My mom and dad married when they were nineteen years old, just as Karen and I did. They are now 79 years old and in light of their upcoming anniversary, I interviewed them for the next edition of our MarriageToday magazine. I asked both of them what the secret was for their marriage lasting so long.
My father answered first. He said he got married to stay married. Divorce was never an option for him. He came from a culture of commitment and when his parents or other family members had problems they stuck it out and worked it out. From the beginning he was committed until "death do us part".
My mother agreed with my father's response and then added that for her, forgiveness was an important key for a lasting marriage. She said over the years there were many times she had to make the decision to forgive and go on. She emphasized this point several times during the interview as she also noted that it just isn't worth it to hold a grudge or to become bitter. The price is too high.
I'm very proud of my parents. They have gone through some very difficult times in their marriage and in their lives. I have seen my parents experience sickness and health, richer and poorer, better and worse and through it all they stayed committed to each other.
In addition to what my parents said about their marriage and why it has lasted, I would add that they are tough people. My parents aren't whiners and don't expect everything to come easy. They come from a generation that lived during the depression and World War II and their mindset is greatly influenced by those experiences. It is a good reminder to this generation of how to build a lasting marriage and a legacy for our children.
I hope everyone reading this has a long and happy marriage. I also hope that my parent's testimony has inspired you to that end.
Blessings,Jimmy Evans

1 comments:

Unknown said...

I think this is my favorite one yet.