My brothers and I were hard on toys when we were growing up. Many of them didn't survive Christmas day or a birthday before they were already broken. I have always tried to blame the craftsmanship of the toymaker in saying they just were made to last. Of course today, most things are not made to last. We have disposable dishes, silverware, cups, diapers, contact lenses, lighters and even disposable underwear (I've seen them in the stores of Hong Kong). Very few things are built to last these days. Think about it: How many cell phones have you already owned in the short time they have been on the market? They have gone from the size of a small walkie talkie to being so small we misplace them and have to call our number and listen for the ring to find them. How many computers have your owned in the past ten years? Things just aren't made to last anymore.
How about this for lasting: 66 years, which equals 792 months, which equals 3432 weeks, which equals 289080 days. I could go on, but you get the point. Man, that's a long time...longer than I have been alive. This is how long Marshall and Marlene Denny have been married. This wonderful couple lives in King, North Carolina and I had the privilege of living in their home for three summers when I was in college. They took me in as one of their own children (Of which they have 4 children). I had the opportunity to learn from them and observe what it meant to be married in a marriage that was made to last. They certainly weren't and aren't perfect, but they have stayed married. In a disposable society, they have honored the vow they made to the Lord when they married each other. They have taught their children and grandchildren and great grandchildren numerous lessons over the years - But none greater than that of honoring your commitment! Use any argument you want to justify how impossible this is today, but the truth is that they have done something which God expects each one of us who gets married to do - He expects us to stay married until death separates us. Our culture says marriage vows can be broken if there are "irreconcilable differences" or if one person is not satisfied and having his/her needs met. Yet, Marshall and Marlene are living examples that a marriage which is entrusted into the Lord's care can last a long time because God made marriage to last.
Proverbs 16:3 says, "Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will prosper." Ask the Denny's if God has prospered them and I'm sure they will answer in the affirmative. They have been prospered in so many ways because they have committed their marriage to the Lord. I don't know if Leah and I will make it 66 years because I will be 99 by then, but I'm willing to give it a try. I want to be radical and go against the flow, seeking to have a thriving marriage for my whole life.
Though my thoughts for this blog arose from the Denny's marriage, this truth about commitment applies to every aspect of our lives: At our jobs, in caring for our homes, in raising our children, in studying for a difficult class and a multitude of other areas. Are your ways committed to the Lord? Are you following through with those commitments? I pray that this Sip will give you the strength to do that very thing!
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