We are also very thankful to be celebrating 48 years together… a lot of memories have passed thru those years… with our biggest Thank You going to God for always being there, providing the foundation and support on which we have leaned.
Anniversaries come and go – with some more special than others. Like bookends, anniversaries hold between them the memories of our lives... of a special deep love, of change and growth, of difficult and painful times, and of joyous days.
October 26 marked our 48th anniversary. In years past, I remembered our anniversary with special poems to celebrate where life had taken us all these years. This poem, written in 2014, is a more contemplative poem that essentially wrote itself, words pouring out faster than my fingers could type. The decades have seen a lot of love expressed, and a lot of change within ourselves and our family. And though the years have witnessed much sadness, the Lord has also blessed us with abundant joy and peace.
As part of our vows 48 years ago, Edward promised me his deepest love, unselfish devotion and tenderest care. He promised to direct our lives into a path of faith and hope in Christ as a faithful husband, no matter what lay ahead. Expressing deepest joy, I came into a new life with him as my husband, loving him, learning from him, and seeking to please him. As God had prepared me for him, I vowed to strengthen, comfort and encourage him, no matter what lay ahead. Though imperfect, we’ve sure tried!
True love cannot remain the same or it will become stagnant, for without growth it ceases to exist. Yet, how often don’t we find that love grows best facing the difficulties of life… those hard times which can either draw two hearts closer or tear them asunder. Love must be nurtured and fed, given room to grow… to expand horizons… in order to complement and care for each other. As my poem attempts to portray, love is much more than dreams… much more than a starry-eyed adoration. It’s so much more than this.
True love is all about teamwork that strengthens the bond. True love is a choice to remain committed to vows made before God on a joyous and happy wedding day… because the tough times will come. We’ve been there. We’ve seen days we thought would never end… when it just might have been easier to give up and walk away. For those tough times will attempt to tear apart bonds once considered unbreakable… offering an easy way out to a seemingly better life… for little tears can either become permanent scars that irritate, or become scars which heal the inner soul to bring wisdom and understanding with a deeper love.
True love is also about making sacrifices… thinking more highly of our spouse than ourself… carrying the one who stumbles or becomes ill long term… opening up with total and complete honesty to each other… extending forgiveness and grace with arms open wide… for true love grows stronger as the foundation is strengthened. “For neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow.” (I Cor.3:7 NIV)
Which reminds me of the great biblical love chapter: “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres… And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.” (I Cor.13:4-7, 13 NIV)
And I believe true love is a love which draws its strength from the Lord above. He is the nourishment that love’s growth feeds upon… for “…whatever is true, whatever is noble [honorable], whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things… and the peace of God will be with you.” (Phil.4:8-9 NIV)
He is the One who walks beside us every day. In fact, like the poem, “Footsteps in The Sand,” I know the Lord has carried us during those times when we felt utterly overwhelmed by life. But, praise God, He has helped us overcome what life has tossed our way, and our bonds have become stronger than when we first began our marriage journey 48 years ago!
Much More Than Dreams
Linda A. Roorda
Do not wonder we’ve reached this milestone!
You keep my heart alive and new
For do you know how much I care
How much I love you even still?
Yesterday was an easy path.
It seemed that life was starry dreams,
An open book with pages to fill,
Our love alone would cover all.
But hidden deep in years of days
Between the glowing adoration
And learning who we would become
Came heavy cares to weigh us down.
Do not think I’d no longer love.
Do not think I’d walk away
To find another fleeting dream
Just because our life got tough.
Is not love much more than this…
The starry eyes and glory dreams,
Romantic notions in the air...
To keep us on a journey long?
Commitments made are meant to be kept
Intentions deep with respect and honor
To carry the one who slips and falls
For love grows deep with wisdom’s grace.
I love you more than long ago
For it’s a trust borne out of life
As hand in hand this road we’ve walked
To bring a strength to ties that twine.
Was there a time I could not see
Beyond your heart with all its love
To tenderly hold you in my soul…
For is not love much more than dreams?
~~
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