3.20-What are the keys to happy, joyous marriages?

3.20-

Happy Anniversary to Ralph and Gladys Self, Sheila's parents, in heaven with the Lord now.

Let me write my history for the benefit, hopefully, of my kids, grandsons and others. The reason Sheila and I have been able to make it in our marriage for 51 years is because of the grace and mercy of God. That is the truth according to both of us. In addition God graced us with the example of Ralph and Gladys Self.

They were not people who thought of themselves as having arrived and needing no more learning and growth. They attended classes at church that were set up to help them be better as family leaders and better workers in their community. They confessed to us as their children that they were people who made mistakes and bad choices sometimes and wanted us to know they positive changes they needed to make and did strive to make. They came across to me as humble people.

They worked at teaching others a better way of life through children’s Bible classes and Ralph produced the church bulletin full of encouraging articles. They were learners and teachers. They were confident people and that added to their joy in their life and in their marriage. My perception of them is different from my wife’s. I didn’t meet them until they had been married for nearly 25 years. I didn’t experience the early years. I never was disciplined by them as Stan and Sheila were. They did put their best foot forward to me and others. They did work hard to get along with everyone.

But still.
In this their Anniversary day I want to write a bit of my history with them and my memory of them that helped to guide our marriage.

They both believed that Jesus’ words were forever and everything else in this world was passing. They took note of Jesus’ teachings regarding marriage.
They believed that God created the universe and joined people together in marriage.
They believed that Jesus taught it was good to move out from their parents to develop their own unique family life.

They believed that with God’s help they could stay together because God had put them together.
Ralph was a one woman man. Gladys was a one man woman. Period. End stop.
So now for 51 years Sheila and I have been trying to build up our marriage. We are still trying to bless our kids and grandkids as well as they did. They blessed us greatly. We want to be a blessing. We have their legacy passed on to us. They taught us that God did not give us a spirit of timidity but of power, love and self control.

Their best teaching was by their example and today I am full of appreciation for them.

Matthew 19.
⁴ And He answered and said, “Have you not read that He who created them from the beginning made them male and female, ⁵ and said, ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? ⁶ So they are no longer two, but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let no man separate.”

Larry Wishard
3.20.18