I looked into her eyes and noticed a rare shimmer that happens when one is in constant discovery of God’s faithfulness. And when I heard his laughter there was a pureness of joy that one attains after victoriously fighting through unruly circumstances.
This blog will be comparably brief considering the fullness and richness of the stories that these two precious individuals, their marriage, and their family have, but nevertheless I wanted to share this.
In Alabama my team and I got a chance to live with this beautiful couple! They treated us like family. They prepared our bedrooms in advanced, stocked up the kitchen, let us love on their gentle pup, gave us the opportunity to rest from our busy schedule, and let us help them with their homes as much as possible.
They introduced us to their church, giving us the opportunity to serve alongside them and their community. We had large family style dinners with a lot of laughter around the dinner table. We played games together and toured the river walk of Phenix City.
We talked about the good stuff and most importantly we talked about the challenging stuff. And even more impactful, they shared their testimonies with us.
Growing up I always wondered what an ideal me marriage would be. There was a blissful ignorance in thinking that marriage would lead me to the white picket fence, the rainbows and the sunshine, the butterflies fluttering away, and the children laughing around chasing dandelions.
But after years of observing and being mentored through the experiences, the wisdom, and the testimonies of married couples I now have a better picture of what I want my ideal marriage to be.
I want my marriage to have the same fullness and richness as one that my parents had and one that our now titled Alabama parents have. An ideal marriage for me is one that has endured difficult trials because the foundation of the covenant made with each other rests on Jesus.
At the dinner table they gazed at each other. Our Alabama dad said, “there were moments where I was pleading to God to take her because I couldn’t stand seeing her in so much pain. But, here we are!” — This was the plea of a warrior who knows that the One he fights for is the benevolent God. This is the victory cry of a man who by Faith knew that no matter what, God is good.
We sat as close as possible trying to keep each other warm in the hospital room waiting for one of my teammate’s hospital visit to be over. Our Alabama mama was capturing our hearts as she spoke of her testimony of healing. She said, “it was so bad that I didn’t even know if I would be able to get up ever again. I’d be in so much pain and would get so dizzy.” Her eyes got really big and she said, “but I just kept holding on to God and…I can’t explain it. He just did it.” — This is the statement of a woman fully loved by the Father. It’s the confidence that keeps her eyes shimmering because she is fully aware that the Faithfulness of God over her life flows freely giving her strength each day to arise.
My teammate Delaney and I were walking one day and she said, “I want to give my key away.” And I responded, “That’s awesome! Because I want to give my key away too!”
We had these prophetic keys that’s been prayed over and meant to pass along to individuals we meet along our journey of life. God is the one that leads us and compels us to give it away when it’s time. These two keys fit perfectly into their devoted heart, their powerful testimony, and their continued surrender to God’s Kingdom and will.
The word Warrior for the mighty man who never stopped fighting — “But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses.” – 1 Timothy 6:11-12
And the word Koum which means Arise for the beloved woman who walks in healing and virtue — “He went in and said to them, “Why all this commotion and wailing? The child is not dead but asleep.” But they laughed at him. After he put them all out, he took the child’s father and mother and the disciples who were with him, and went in where the child was. He took her by the hand and said to her, “Talitha koum!” (which means “Little girl, I say to you, Arise!” ). Immediately the girl stood up and began to walk around (she was twelve years old). At this they were completely astonished.” – Mark 5:39-42
I liked listening to them as they gather around the dinner table. Their son and daughter in law were telling stories of how they first met. They spoke about their homes and the 100’s of foster children they welcomed over a span of 30 years. The childhood memories of their children playing and stories of their sons serving Kingdom gave me a lot of hope for the big family that I want one day.
Through their testimony I learned that with Jesus as the Lord and savior of our lives, we can actually have it all. It’s true love with healthy constraints that keep us humble and wanting more. It’s freedom in knowing that we can be the ones that change the world without the world changing us and compromising the integrity of the truth we live. It’s a covenant stronger than pain, sickness, disease, heartache, addictions, stronghold, and sin.
I can have it all in my ideal marriage. The painful and joy filled memories can coat the walls of our home and build an unbreakable fence of protection. The storms of life can lead to the beautiful promise of a rainbow in view. The difficulty of changes can be a cocoon that transforms into butterflies. And the cries of my children will help me appreciate their laughter even more when they’re chasing the dandelions of their own hopes and dreams for the future.
These are the lessons I love to learn as I grow with the Lord as my teacher and live in a community bonded together by the Holy Spirit.
To my Alabama parents….thank you for sharing your life with us. Thank you for filling me with Hope and Courage. Thank you for reminding me that there’s a lot of battles I need to fight but a lot MORE battles that the Lord gave me victory over. Thank you for reminding me that life starts when I arise to what God has for me in each new day.
