Blessed

Every once in a while, a man should reflect on his blessings. I acknowledge that I am a blessed man. Not by wealth or fame, but I have some very precious relationships that has made me a wealthy man. One of those relationships is with the lady in the picture.

I met her here at the church way back in 1976. I was teaching the youth Sunday School class. Her Dad owned a cottage here in Houghton Lake. They didn't stay at the cottage that summer because they went on a big bicentennial trip.

The next year, we had moved the church to a new building (the one we are in now), there was lots of excitement and work. She showed up again at the church, and this time was going to be around for the summer. It took me a while but I finally asked her out on a date, and she accepted. We canoed for our first date. And from that initial meeting love blossomed.

We wrote regularly through the remainder of high school. I still have every letter she wrote me in the nightstand next to my bed. Every once in a while, I pull them out and read and remember what young love was like for me. It was exciting and uncharted territory for me. When I read those letters I am transformed back to the days of my youth. I relive those feelings, those dreams, those days of extreme awkwardness, hope, fear, wonder . . .

We attended college together and then married in the summer before our Junior year. There were folks who made the dire predictions about how we were too young, too poor, and too immature. They were sure we were not going to make it. And you know they were right - we were too young, too poor and too immature. If I today was to council the younger me, I would have advised me to take the safer route and wait a couple of years.

But the younger me didn't listen because he was so in love and he was sure that love covers over a multitude of sins. So, he, my younger self, was right too - because in this instance the too young, too poor, too immature couple was able to make it because love, theirs, but mostly God's, was always present to see them through.

28 years we have been married and I regret not a moment of it. Even when we have had bad times the love covered us and we grew closer together. If there is anything that I struggle with now it is the desire to spend more time with her, because I know that in spite of our love neither one of us will live forever here on earth, and I don't want to miss a moment of my time with her.

I am a blessed man, and I know it. A scripture, Genesis 2:22 - Then the LORD God made a woman from the rib and brought her to Adam." God brought her to him - God brought her to him - God brought her to him - I was and am still struck by those words. It wasn't good for man to be alone, he created a suitable companion and then brought her to him.

At creation , when all was up and running including the relationship between man and woman the Scripture says, "God saw all that He had made, and it was very good." Genesis 1:31 Yes from what I have experienced I can join in and say, "Amen."