Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.
Yesterday was my parents 43rd wedding anniversary.
When I was growing up my mom always had this photo of her and my dad on the bulletin board in her sewing room. This was taken when they were dating. My mom was only about 17 or 18 years old. Let me tell you what. My parents have been through some stuff yet here they stand. They've seen times of plenty and times when my mom made top ramen or mac n cheese for every meal because we couldn't afford meat. We qualified for the free lunches at school. There were stressful days. There are always good years and hard years. I've watched my mom and dad STAND through the hard years. And in watching they've taught me to stand.
This is my grandpa and grandma. Recently I had a dream that my grandma passed away and I woke up crying. My husband did the sweetest thing and arranged for them to come to my birthday party so that I could spend some time with them. My grandma is starting to lose her memory a bit and really counts on grandpa to take care of her. She's always scanning the room looking for where grandpa is standing because as long as she knows where he is she feels safe. In my ignorance I thought that this might irritate my grandpa. I half expected him to meet her searching gaze with irritation but instead I saw more love in those eyes than I could ever find words for. This year they are married 68 years. He knows their time left together is short and he showers her with love. This is another couple that has faced great adversity in their lifetime and yet I have watched them STAND. When I was going through my own hard times 2 years ago I would think of my grandparents and all that they had been through and hold onto their example as I also was learning to stand.
One blessing that has come from attending the same church for 20+ years is watching people I love go through extreme adversity and handle it with grace and dignity. I've also watched people that have become bitter or rebellious. We are always quick to give them an excuse, "well, they've had a hard life... etc." But I find myself so impressed with the ones that handle adversity and come out on the other side stronger. People are always watching. My parents and grandparents are not perfect but what I've watched since I was a little girl was how they would pick up the pieces from their mistakes and continue forward.
This summer marks my FIFTEEN year anniversary!!! There was a time when I wasn't sure we'd make it past thirteen years. Those were some hard days for us! But God taught us to stand. We've never been happier! And I appreciate my husband and my marriage so much! Do you know that I live a life completely free of fear now??? It used to completely paralyze me. So now we stand and you'd better believe my girls are watching!
Oh my goodness. I just got all choked up! Do you see the generations here? My parents watched my grandparents stand. Then I watched my parents! And now the girls are watching us!!
Maybe you don't have the same heritage that I'm blessed with. But you can be the first! YOU can STAND! And in standing, teach your children to stand! I'm not just talking about marriage! I have friends that have lost their spouse at a young age, friends that have lost children, friends that have lost everything they own in a fire, an auntie that is battling her SEVENTH round of cancer, friends that have been through tremendous difficulties in their marriages. To be around these people is a JOY! What a testimony! What an incredible example. Do you know what this says to people in the midst of the storm? It says, "I've been that way before and I'm here to show you that you WILL make it through to the other side!"
So to my parents, my grandparents, my auntie Elaine, Melissa, Leah, Cindi, Wendy, Eli, Stefie, and many many more THANK YOU for standing!! I've been watching you! You've been an incredible example to me.
