And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. 1 Corinthians 13:13
I stopped by a favorite coffee shop while out on some errands. The customers were a cross-section of retirees and working people. One elderly couple who came in immediately attracted my attention. Both appeared in their late seventies and were steadying each other as they entered the front door.
“Honey,” the woman began, smiling at her husband, “Where do you want to sit today?”
“It doesn’t matter. Anywhere you are comfortable,” came his reply.
Similar comments followed over who would take which seat at the table. The gentleman grabbed two menus and handed one to his wife.
For the next half hour, I watched this couple. This was a textbook case of love. They demonstrated all the kindness toward each other of a couple on a first date, yet I overheard conversations about their grandchildren. They offered each other condiments that were on the table while discussing their plans for the day.
When I got up to pay my check, I confessed to them that I had been eavesdropping on their conversation. I complimented them on demonstrating love for each other. The man told me how long they had been married. While he spoke, his bride beamed like a schoolgirl in love.
As I drove away, I wondered about all that could not be discovered in a thirty-second conversation. I wondered what they had been through in their years of marriage. I wondered about their spiritual condition. I wondered if either of them had ever been unfaithful. I wondered how often they had forgiven each other. I wondered if they had ever been separated or even divorced. I wondered who taught them to love each other so openly.
Do everything in love. 1 Corinthians 16:14
For each of my wondering questions, I reached one conclusion. Love is not dead. I suspect that, at times, you and I are guilty of focusing so much on hurts from our marriage that we overlook the good all around us. All marriages, even healthy ones, have times of conflict and struggle, but through our Lord Jesus Christ, we can have victory through those valleys and come out loving our spouse even more. Far greater, we come out of the valleys of marriage loving the Lord even more once we recognize it is Jesus who heals the hurts at home.
God bless,
