Happy Anniversary!

 

The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying, Thus you shall bless the people of Israel: you shall say to them, The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. (Numbers 6:22-26 ESV).

 

Today is our 51^st wedding anniversary. I thought I’d never get to fifty. After all, fifty years is a long time. However, now that we’re counting beyond that marker, it seems time is passing awfully fast. Even in this year of challenge and difficulty, it seems like yesterday that we were gathering with friends and family for the celebration.

 

As I approached the writing of today’s devotional I was reminded of a wonderful trip Mary and I made through parts of New England. The picture I chose for today was taken by some folks we encountered making the walk across the Hudson River. The bridge, known as “The Walkway Over the Hudson,” is 1.28 miles from one gate to the other, and stands 212 feet above the Hudson River. Since it was in the fall of the year and the foliage was at its peak, the vista was incredible. Even though the photo doesn’t do the colors justice, it was incredible. The trees were ablaze with oranges, yellows, reds, and evergreens. I remember thinking that God was just showing off a bit for us. It was wonderful. Even the sky was brilliant with the clouds rolling peacefully across the panorama. The two and one-half mile round trip required stopping a bit along the way for us (I used the excuse that we were simply taking advantage of the vantage point to snap a photo). It was a time when it was easy to experience the “Lord making his face to shine on us.”

 

As you might imagine, over the five decades we have been together there have been times when it was a bit more difficult to feel that way. Perhaps you are having one of those times in your life. Let me encourage you to recall God’s promise. For me, there is nothing more encouraging than to know that God is “working all things to my good” (cf. Romans 8:28). When I am able to do that, my mind is taken to the source for peace and comfort and I can continue the journey with a lighter step.

 

I know that I have been “bubble-wrapped” from the most difficult experiences of life. For those of you who haven’t, I cannot pretend to understand your depth of grief and loss. However, I know and understand the One who can and does. Trust Him with your pain today. And, know that it will come to an end in the eternal reunion that awaits every believer! God bless you! And… Happy Anniversary, Mary! Thanks for every moment of every year!