25 Years is Not Enough

25 years ago today, on May 23, 1987, at the Temple Baptist Church in Pueblo, Colorado, my wife and I said "I Do!"  Today is our 25th Wedding Anniversary!  That's not bad for a relationship that began at a Flea Market in Lynchburg, Virginia.  It's especially not bad when you consider that at that Flea Market, more than a quarter century ago, when we first met, my wife was there looking for a toaster, a garbage can, and a picture frame for her boyfriend that lived hundreds of miles away in Texas.  It makes me so thankful for what I used to hear Dr Jerry Falwell say many times, "All is fair in love and romance until the wedding ring is on the finger."  Dr Falwell could say that because when he met his wife, she was dating his best friend.

When we said "I Do" 25 years ago in Pueblo Colorado, we had no idea what the next 25 years would hold.  We had no idea that we would be part of 4 different ministries.  We had no idea that we would live in 4 different states.  We had no idea that when our 25th anniversary rolled around that we would be living in rural northern Michigan, in a town called "Gaylord."

Over the last 25 years we had some incredible joys like the birth of our two children; their High School graduations; and our daughter's college graduation.  But back then we did not know that we would face some pain and adversity as well like the night we almost lost one of our children when they were very little.  25 years ago we had no idea the hundreds of lives that God would give us the thrill of impacting for Jesus.  But neither did we realize the ministry hurt that we would walk through as well.  But the best part of the past 25 years was the fact that we were able to live through those joys and those sorrows - those peaks and those valleys - TOGETHER!  That's the best part of the past 25 years.  No matter what life threw my way - Laura was there!  We were TOGETHER!

Today, there won't really be any fanfare to the celebration.  Paying for two kids in college and the recent trip to Virginia for graduation pretty much was our anniversary celebration (though I believe 25 years ago we thought this day would be celebrated in Hawaii!  Oh, well).  But today we will look back over the past 25 years with gladness - gladness that we lived these past 25 years TOGETHER.

And when today comes to an end, we will start our next 25 years.  Like the last 25 years, those years ahead will also have many joys.  Lord willing, we will see our son graduate from college; We'll watch our kids get married; We'll become grandparents - maybe even great-grandparents.  But I am also realistic and honest enough to realize that the next 25 years will include some heartache as well.  We may end up living far away from our grown kids and not be able to experience our grand-kids in person on a regular basis.  And in all likelihood, the next 25 years will also include saying "good-bye" to our own parents as they go on to heaven ahead of us.  But with all the joys and sorrows that will accompany the next 25 years, the best part is that we will live those experiences TOGETHER!

Over the next 25 years we will grow old (Laura will actually get there before me since I am so much younger than she is).  To be honest, I don't look forward to getting old.  From what I see, it seems like a tough road.  One dear Senior Saint once told me, "Getting old isn't for sissies!"  I think she may be right.  The worst part of the next 25 years is that we will grow old.  The best part of the next 25 years is that we will grow old TOGETHER!

Years ago I bought Laura a D.Morgan print.  These prints include words on them as part of the picture. This one hangs in our bedroom.  It's words have special meaning today on our 25th wedding anniversary.  Here is what it says:

One hundred years together
Would surely be too few
For every day, all over again
I fall in love with you!

Today is our 25th Wedding Anniversary!  To be honest, 25 years just isn't enough!

Happy Anniversary, Laura!  I love you!