Forty Years

Floyd and I recently took a couple days to celebrate our 40th wedding anniversary.  Forty years.  Wow - that's a lifetime!  I have lots of friends that aren't even that old.  The children of Israel wandered in the desert for that long.  When we speak of it, we talk about how l-ooooo-n-g that was!!  And, now, we've been married that long!  Incredible.  How did that happen?! :}

Some days when I think about it - it seems like forever.  It's hard to remember not knowing Floyd.  At other times, it seems like we just got married last week.  However long or short it is, it's certainly been the best years of my life!

Every day, every week, every month, and, yes, every year has been an adventure!  I would have never, ever, in my wildest dreams have dreamed what my life with Floyd would be like.  Who, but God, could have known?!

We've seen the world.  We've had amazing adventures.  We've had highs and lows.  We've had "richer" and "poorer."  We've had "sickness" and "in health."  We've had "better" and "worse."  We've had "wither thou goest."  We've had it all, so to speak.

I wouldn't trade a day of it - even the hard ones! - for the way God has directed and interwoven our lives.  He has been so faithful to us.  We know each other in strengths and weaknesses, and love each other in spite of, or because of.  The good days have brightened our love - the hard days have deepened it.

I'm very grateful for the lifetime we've had together, and hope we have 40 more.  We'll be hobbling around by then, but it'll still be a fun adventure.  I'm thankful to God for giving me such a wonderful partner in life.

And now we find ourselves beginning a new life and adventure here in South Africa.  Some would say we should be relaxing, "retiring," slowing down.  Well, I do move slowly some days, but we're not slowing down.  We're at the outset of a new chapter in our life here on earth.  I wouldn't begin to imagine what all it will entail.  But I know there'll never be a dull day.  God is good!!

"The Lord your God is with you wherever you go."  Joshua 1:9    Amen!  He has been with us for 40 years!