Last night Danelle and I travelled back to Lesmurdie for the 30th wedding anniversary of a couple we had got to know briefly before leaving. These were not folks from our church. They came along to Ellie’s dedication, but it’d be fair to say that church, God and faith just isn’t their thing! However, footy, beer and partying?… Now you’re talking!
I had conducted the weddings of two of their daughters and over that time had come to see an amazing family and what a sensational marriage these guys have. Their kids – three of whom were part of our church – call them their best friends, look to them as their heroes and all that with due cause. Its not a schmaltzy kind of family – but one that has obviously worked at growing together and have a heap of fun. The ‘kids’ had put on this huge surprise party with marquee in the backyard and awesome food. It was a true celebration of everything marriage and family can be.
My job last night was to do the renewal of wedding vows and to say a few words about marriage. (I feel like I a becoming the official family wedding celebrant!) I prepared some stuff, but finished up asking Grant and Dianne to give their advice to the crew present – after all I’m a 13 year baby and they have been at it a while!
There was no rocket science in what he said ‘love one another – stick at it – it’s hard at times – its worth it’
It is possible to find people who have been married thirty years – you can do it – but to find two people married thirty years and loving it, whose kids see them as legends?… That’s rare. These guys are an absolute inspiration to Danelle and ,I and we dream that one day we might have a marriage and family that looks a bit like theirs!
FWIW here is a quote from another one of my heroes on marriage that I shared last night:
“We feasted on love, every mode of it, solemn and merry, romantic and realistic, sometimes as dramatic as a thunderstorm, sometimes comfortable and unemphatic as putting on your soft slippers. She was my pupil and my teacher, my subject and my sovereign, my trusty comrade, friend, shipmate, fellow soldier. My mistress, but at the same time all that any man friend has ever been to me”
C.S. Lewis