Traveling Together

June 9, 2018

Weddings are beautiful occasions; Christian weddings even more so, in my opinion. When a young couple stands before the pastor, God, and the congregation, promising to love, honor, comfort and keep each other for better, for worse, in sickness and health, to love and to cherish until parted by death, they enter a holy covenant that is bigger than they themselves. St. Paul said that the union of husband and wife should be a picture of Christ and his Church, which means that marriage is more than just two people who make an agreement and sign papers.

We never completely live up to our promises, but it is still good to make them and to be reminded of them occasionally as we listen to others making their vows. Linda and I had the privilege of hearing those vows again today, and of witnessing the birth of something brand new—two people becoming one in Christ. And while I feel privileged and honored to have been invited to witness this age-old rite, I am grateful that it’s them and not me standing there. They’re young, and have no idea what trials and joys will come their way. Anyone who has been in a relationship long enough to decide to marry will have had more than a few opportunities to forgive and be forgiven, to have their commitment challenged, to have shed a few tears and beaten down their anger. But they cannot fathom the depths to which they are capable of falling, nor the heights of joy that await them. It takes years to grow love, and they are just getting started.

Linda and I have forty-eight years under our belts, and the wounds and scars to prove it. While I am happy for this young couple, I am glad we aren’t just starting out. It’s taken us a long time to train each other in the delicate art of compromise and humility. Ours has been a good road, but there are parts of it I wouldn’t want to travel again.

When vehicles are new, it often takes a few thousand miles to get the bugs worked out. We haven’t had any recall, and our marriage vehicle is humming along just fine. I continue to be thankful for the traveling companion God gave me many years ago. We don’t know how far we have yet to go; we hope there are many more miles and years before us. There’s no one in the back seat saying, “Are we there yet?” No, we aren’t, but we are enjoying the ride.