This Christian Life

“We didn’t really need all that stuff”

Last night we celebrated as a family with my wife’s grandparents who have been married for 50 years this year. Here’s a memoir they wrote and shared with us.

Reflections and thoughts on our 50 years of marriage
October 7, 1954 to October 7, 2004

The good part—it’s a long journey, the bad part—it went too fast. One of the most important themes we believe was to focus on a common goal. Not only a common goal, but also to help each other in our own goals. Also to puruse these dreams with courage and faith. We worked hard to achieve our roles and responsibility and with God’s direction, we dug in and never gave up.

The best goal was having all of us first know the Lord in their own way. To be trained and guided in the path God has planned for us. Another goal was to have adventure as a fmily. Yes, there was schooling with homework, participation in sporting events, transportation problems, cleaning clothes, overtime at work, late dinners, sports in the backyard, treehouse, rickshaw, ice rinks, playing catch, giving the dog a bath, playing with dolls, painting the house, and eating Grandmothers cow tongue hamburgers by the fireplace.

After 50 years only the events come to mind, all the rest of life seems to get lost. Getting up each day, eating, working, read the paper, have dinner, look at TV, go to bed and start another day. Year after year. Each day we should try to do something special for our spouse, children, or whoever comes in our lives. This is God’s will. Many things we pursued and thought they were important to our life, only to find out now, we didn’t really need “all that stuff.” Many of us get stuck in this mode. Adventure is with the Spirit of God in Christ with your spouse, with your children, extended families, our friends and our church families.

Adventure time in our trips, Fflorida, Jackson Hole, Chicago, Boyne Mt., GR ski club, St. Louis, Norfolk, camping, cruises, and we are still doing this. Oh sometimes your son falls on his bike and you have to take him to the hospital on the 4th of July instead of the outing you had planned. Or you have to leave church because your daughter burned her hands on the stove rack. Or take your son to the hospital with a broken leg, and a very deep gash in his nose. However, each one of you made this a beautiful journey. You are the story and the author was God. Thank you all, and may we continue to be faithful in the journey with the Lord, and receive His blessing on our journey.