I know it isn’t our anniversary yet, but felt I wanted to write a little about our life together.  Life never turns out just how we expect.  Too many variables and choices to make to be right all the time even when seeking God’s will.  However, after 49 years with my honey, I really thought we would make our 50th anniversary.  Not so.  He went home to be with Jesus on our 49th.  Even though I knew his health was not so good, I never thought I’d be a widow at 69!  Funny, when we first married, I couldn’t even consider living to our 50th.  (All my grandparents had died at 67/68 so that was the expected lifetime then.)

I am so thankful for the wonderful years we had together.  Even though there were very rough patches (as people say now) early on, mainly due to my hardheadedness. Though I was want to please God, it still took Him a long time to get through to me.  Finally, after several years, I began to allow Him to “fix” me rather than waiting for Him to fix Frank to my liking.  Once I gave God the go ahead to create a new heart and will in me to love, forgive, and let go of the bitterness that I had held on to, all Heaven began to break loose in my marriage and in my walk with Him.  

God is the healer, the lover, the everything we need to live abundantly everyday.  He is the faithful one who restores, refreshes, and pours His love out on us through the Holy Spirit so that we can pour it out on those around us.  I do so wish Frank and I could have celebrated 50 years, but he is celebrating now and I am glad for him to not be as he was in his illness.  Mostly, I am thankful for a Father God who loved us enough to give His Son, Jesus, to die on the cross so that we could have life in Him.  His Resurrection shows us the truth of Who He is and when we believe He lives in us through His Holy Spirit.  What joy to know He has both Frank and me in His hands.