50

 

Well sweet heart we made it. Fifty years ago today you became my wife and I became your husband. I look at this photo and I know that it is Vicki and me, but we had no idea of the twists and turns that life would throw at us. 

I had someone ask me what our secret was in staying together for 50 years. That was an easy one........She is, and always will be, my best friend. As some would put it, "we have weathered the storms of life...but at the same time, we have enjoyed the gentle rain of our Father's love." We have felt His discipline when we sought to go and do things the way we wanted to, giving no thought to what His will may have been for us. At the same time we have been showered with His grace, mercy, compassion and love.

If anything could be said about those two young folks in the picture it would be that they were teachable. We didn't really know what that meant at the time, but we learned as situation and circumstance became the tool that God used. Now here today on this anniversary all I have to do is look around and see the grace, mercy, and gifts that God has given to Vicki and I. Our two sons, Chad and Josh.......their wives, Robin and Heather....and of course our two grand children, Tyler and Ashley. 

These past few weeks leading up to today, I told Vicki that I do believe we are like Jimmy Stewart in the movie "It's A Wonderful Life". We are the richest folks on Greene Street. Oh our bank account isn't overflowing with money. We don't live in a mansion. We don't dress in designer clothes, but our richness comes from our heavenly Father who has had His hand upon us the entire time we've been married. He kept His hand on us even when we rejected Him in order to do what we wanted to do. We spent 7 years in what I refer to as our "wilderness wanderings" before we came back like the prodigal son. God truly is faithful even when we were not.

I told Vicki last night, "Let's do another 20 years...what do you say?" What God truly joined together on that night back in 1972 has withstood many efforts by the devil to tear us apart. Thank you Lord.

So today, Vicki and I will open up a boatload of memories and spill them out one by one. Relishing the time we've been together, but very much aware that we still have a ways to go. 

So this morning, my heart and my love is for the woman that God brought into my life. She is my forever love.

Happy anniversary honey! I love you....

"Nice" Michael Bynum. Now that is a whole other story, how I came to be labeled "Nice".

God on you...