Forty-One Years
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Today we celebrate 41 years of marriage. Yikes!
We had a whirlwind romance. We got engaged 8 weeks after our first date and were married about four months later. We had a whirlwind honeymoon in Carmel and San Francisco because Gene was starting Talbot Theological Seminary right away.
I worked at Biola, which was very convenient, being on the same campus as Talbot. He got his M.Div. I got my Ph.T. (Putting Hubby Thru). Both degrees taught us many things and even now, we are wiser for them.
We've worked hard and we've struggled. We've played and we've laughed. We've rejoiced and we've cried. We've worked as a team, though sometimes the team didn't have its act together. The Lord blessed us with two wonderful children. We were so excited to finally be parents, but we ended up floundering at the task. One thing is certain: we loved our children very much. We really tried to be good parents, and hopefully we were better at it than my recollection brings. (It's too bad that we see our mistakes too late in life to correct them, except by the grace of God in their lives.) I find comfort in watching my children being good parents to their children. For that I am grateful.
In and out of all the good times and hard times, we believed in each other. But mostly, we believed God. He promised to forgive, and He did. He promised to provide, and He did. He promised wisdom, and He gave it. He said He'd never leave or forsake us, and He never did. He was our Rock when we were shaky. He was the God of all comfort in our sad times. When the waters overflowed us, He kept us in His care. When we were distressed, we were not cast down. He said He would give grace and more grace, and He did . . . grace upon grace, like wave upon wave.
He said, "I know the plans that I have for you, to give you a future and a hope." We are living out His promise. In these 41 years, God's hand has always been upon us.
We had a whirlwind romance. We got engaged 8 weeks after our first date and were married about four months later. We had a whirlwind honeymoon in Carmel and San Francisco because Gene was starting Talbot Theological Seminary right away.
I worked at Biola, which was very convenient, being on the same campus as Talbot. He got his M.Div. I got my Ph.T. (Putting Hubby Thru). Both degrees taught us many things and even now, we are wiser for them.
We've worked hard and we've struggled. We've played and we've laughed. We've rejoiced and we've cried. We've worked as a team, though sometimes the team didn't have its act together. The Lord blessed us with two wonderful children. We were so excited to finally be parents, but we ended up floundering at the task. One thing is certain: we loved our children very much. We really tried to be good parents, and hopefully we were better at it than my recollection brings. (It's too bad that we see our mistakes too late in life to correct them, except by the grace of God in their lives.) I find comfort in watching my children being good parents to their children. For that I am grateful.
In and out of all the good times and hard times, we believed in each other. But mostly, we believed God. He promised to forgive, and He did. He promised to provide, and He did. He promised wisdom, and He gave it. He said He'd never leave or forsake us, and He never did. He was our Rock when we were shaky. He was the God of all comfort in our sad times. When the waters overflowed us, He kept us in His care. When we were distressed, we were not cast down. He said He would give grace and more grace, and He did . . . grace upon grace, like wave upon wave.
He said, "I know the plans that I have for you, to give you a future and a hope." We are living out His promise. In these 41 years, God's hand has always been upon us.
Always . . . His mercy, and His grace, and His faithfulness!
The Lord's lovingkindnesses indeed never cease,
for His compassions never fail.
They are new every morning. Great is Thy faithfulness.
"The Lord is my portion," says my soul.
"Therefore I have hope in Him."
The Lord is good to those who wait for Him,
To the person who seeks Him.
The Lord's lovingkindnesses indeed never cease,
for His compassions never fail.
They are new every morning. Great is Thy faithfulness.
"The Lord is my portion," says my soul.
"Therefore I have hope in Him."
The Lord is good to those who wait for Him,
To the person who seeks Him.
Lam. 3:22-25
posted by Ginger | 7:18 AM
3 Comments:
Congratulations on this very wonderful milestone!
Congratulations! What a beautiful writing about your love for each other and about God's faithfulness and promise to you in your marriage.
I must say you and Gene don't strike me as the whirlwind couple...but then again you did just come back from the adventure of Kijabe....maybe this is a start of a Gene and Ginger we don't know! When we come to Arkansas, I bet you'll be riding Harley with Tattoo's. HA HA.
We love you and we love your testimony for God and each other.
Michele for all
Hello Dear Friends! What a treat to be able to catch up on your lives. I thought and prayed for you often while you were in Kenya. I wish I could have been Flat Stanley--I sure miss my other home. Congratulations on your anniversary! Love to you both from us both!
Kigen and Dana
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