55 Years Ago Today...

55 years ago today, my parents said their "I do's".
Oui, je le veux.

55 years--that's a long, LONG time!
I wouldn't really know, of course.
The best I can do to wrap my brain around it is
to think of it as my whole lifetime + 20 years.
That seems like a really long time to me.

For better or for worse until death do them part.
There have been many 'betters' and many 'worses' in 55 years,
but they have weathered the storms together and have stayed the course. The odds were stacked against them--
my dad, the dreamer, entrepeneur, risk-taker, construction big shot; my mom, the farm girl, school teacher, God-fearing, level-headed realist--
but they prevailed.
How? They were stubborn. The good kind of stubborn.
At least, my mom's stubborness was.
She was stubborn in the Lord. Dans le Seigneur.

She drew strength from Him and clung to His love,

overcoming many obstacles along the way to becoming my dad's suitable helpmate. And that she is!

He would be the first to say so.

55 years and she's still clinging to Christ's love.
These are tough times for them.
The family train business is failing.
Mudslides have ruined the track beyond repair.
They have to salvage what they can, sell for parts,
pay their creditors, and keep their Christian testimony intact.

It's not easy, so I pray for them.
We pray for them.
But today, I sing.
I sing a song I wrote for them 5 years ago.
For their 50th wedding anniversary.

FOR A WHILE

There's a schoolteacher

Who won't teach much longer

'Cause she's met a man

Who wants her hand

And won't let it go

Saying:

Stay for a while

Don't go my darling

Stay for a while

Don't you know that I love you

Stay for a while

No more goodbyes

'Cause I love you, don't you know

So stay with me.

There's a cry from the nursery

So Mommy awakes

There's a child who needs rockin'

Good thing sleep can wait.

Let's rock for a while

Hush my sweet darling

Rock for a while

Don't you know that I love you

Let's rock for a while

No more cries

'Cause I love you, don't you know

So rock with me.

 

There's a call from the motel

And then later, the train

There's a crisis to deal with

Another trial to face.

Let's pray for a while

Don't fret my darling

Let's pray for a while

Don't you know that God loves you

Pray for a while

Through this trial

'Cause God loves you, don't you know,

So pray with me.