sola gracia

When I received my Spring TEACH magazine, I glanced at the theme, “Marriages Made Marvelous”. My first thought was, oh no they’re going to show me how I’m failing at my marriage! I was reluctant to read anything past the cover, but since I was on a 26 hour driving trip to Tulsa, Oklahoma I figured it was the best time.
As I was reading through I found much more encouragement and less scolding than I expected and was excited to read the next article or story. A particular favorite, if I had to pick one, would be the story “The Long Goodbye”. As my husband drove us through the long stretch of flatlands in Kansas, I asked him if he’d mind turning off the music and listening to a story I was reading. So, we both shared the wonderful story of a husband battling Alzheimer’s disease while his wife devoted her life to caring for him until he died. It was a story of great hardship, but a story of commitment.
Here is a quote made by the wife that really sums up the entire story,
“Decades ago I vowed I’d be there for him whether he was sick or well. It wasn’t always the easy thing to do, but it was the right thing.”
It is so moving to hear stories of marital endurance like this one. With the way our society is painting marriage so many people believe it to be an optional commitment instead of a lifelong one.
So, thank you Lord for that long road trip and the Teach magazine that was tucked in my purse. It was a joy to read stories of encouragement and words of wisdom from other daughters of the King!