January 15, 2013

• happy 60th anniversary: gravity, oxygen ~ whoso findeth a husband... favour! profound mystery!

   
  My husband and I were married in my home state of Pennsylvania 30 years ago in December of 1982, but a couple weeks later, we had a repeat ceremony in Wisconsin (his home state, and where we first met at graduate school, and where we still live ~ see here for more on how we met). So, as I sometimes put it, we had two weddings:  his and mine.

  Today's the 30th anniversary of that day we repeated our vows –– or our 60th anniversary, so to speak.

  A few years ago, I read through John Piper's "Desiring God," and in the past week or so, I've begun listening to it on an audiobook (Sisters, Oregon: Multnomah, 2003). As I was listening to the various acknowledgments in the Preface, these words of Piper really struck me:

  "And, lest it go unsaid from being obvious, nothing happens without Noël. She supports in so many ways that I lean on her like gravity and oxygen." (p. 13)

  Piper often has his own quirky (and wonderful) of saying things, and though I'm definitely more than a little quirky, I suspect I wouldn't have phrased it exactly like that about my husband, but that sentiment rings so very true in my own soul.

  And, lest it go unsaid from being obvious, nothing happens without Paul. He supports in so many ways that I lean on him like gravity and oxygen.

  I don't say it publicly here very often at all, but anything of benefit that you may reap from my writing, you must not only give thanks to the Lord, but also give thanks to my husband.

  And, as much as I want to be a lone ranger and to be independent and self-reliant, I'm not. That's a hard and painful lesson to learn, and it's one I will be learning until the day I die, but it's a wholly necessary lesson. I must be dependent first and foremost on God Himself, but in addition, along with the whole human race, each and every one of us has also been created to be interdependent, that we might rely upon other people. In I Corinthians 12, the apostle Paul reminds us that each of the parts of the Body of Christ need each other; we can't say, "I don't belong," or "I don't need so and so."

  Now, to be clear about it ... Jesus Christ Himself is The Rock, and through Jesus Christ alone comes The Breath of Life through His Holy Spirit. In the Lord Jesus Christ are all the wellsprings of life! All! A few years ago, in my post wives, your husband is not your Husband, I warned women about making idols out of our husbands (see also my post "on our anniversary".)

  All that said, in our God's wonderful and inscrutable workings, He has deemed to graciously provide His people much-needed gravity and oxygen through jars of clay, through the Body of Christ, through our spouses, family members, and friends, all so we might go from strength to strength and be empowered in our pilgrimage in this fallen world, this valley of Baca –– so that even as we find ourselves sorrowful in this place of tears and weeping, we might also be rejoicing.

  In II Timothy 4, the apostle Paul testified that when all others deserted him, the Lord Himself stood by him and strengthened him ... and yet Paul longed to see Timothy. He writes these words to his son in the faith, "Do your best" or "Do thy diligence" (KJV) to come before winter. The Greek word for "Do your best" or "Do thy diligence" is  spoudazo (spoo-dad'-zo) –– to use speed, i.e. to make effort, be prompt or earnest:--do (give) diligence, be diligent (forward), endeavour, labour, study (from Strong's Concordance).

  The Trinity is a perfect, blessed, loving community, and mankind has been created in God's image to enter into, share, and enjoy fellowship and community with the Triune God, as well as with the people of God in and through Jesus Christ, that our joy might be full (I John 1:1-4).

  My husband is fond of quoting Proverbs 18:22 in the King James Version:  "Whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing, and obtaineth favour of the LORD," and today I say the same in regard to him:

  "Whoso findeth a husband findeth a good thing, and obtaineth favour of the LORD."

  Favour
  upon favour
  upon favour
  for 30 years and counting!

  Grace and blessings abound
  far as the curse is found!

  O! How God continues to be merciful to me, a sinner!

  
  "You see the depths of my heart, and You love me the same, You are amazing, God!"
  (From "Indescribable" by Jesse Reeves & Laura Story)

  I love the final verse of Charlie Hall's "Hookers and Robbers," for in it, I keenly see my own sinfulness portrayed (yes! that'd be me:  "pounding, screaming, raging, freaking, cussing, beating" -- see below) –– but also my heavenly Bridegroom's eternal love which continues to be reflected and shown to me by my husband through the love that the Holy Spirit pours into him.

  Who could accept all your pounding and screaming
  Your raging, your freaking, cussing, and beating
  All while He holds you and always forgiving
  This is the story of love and of living
  Wipe off your tears and laugh just a little
  Come break this bread, celebrate the Forgiver
  Raise up a glass, a time to remember
  Come break this bread, celebrate the Forgiver.
  
  Come as you are, as you are, as you are
  Come as you are, as you are, as you are

  .
  

  Ephesians 5:17  Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. 18  And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, 19  addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with all your heart, 20  giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, 21  submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.

  22  Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. 23  For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior. 24  Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands.

  25  Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, 26  that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, 27  so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. 28  In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29  For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, 30  because we are members of his body. 31  “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” 32  This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church. 33  However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.
  

  Thank you, dear, for loving, nourishing, and cherishing me just as the Christ does His church.

  A profound mystery indeed!

  This is my spiritual song and melody, this 15th day of January, 2013.

  Praise God, from whom all blessings flow;
  Praise Him, all creatures here below;
  Praise Him above, ye heavenly host;
  Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen.

  ---

  Related posts:

  on our anniversary
  wives, your husband is not your Husband | letter 77 on assurance & joy
  holy ambition for husbands (so your wife's joy might be full) | letter 89 on assurance & joy
  Reasons for Thanks Giving, Part 6: Christian Friends
  are you gossiping the word to one another?
  George Whitefield on friends and the Friend
  

  Charlie Hall, "Hookers and Robbers," ©2008 worshiptogether.com Songs / sixsteps music. From "The Bright Sadness."

  Lyrics are subject to US Copyright Laws and are the property of their respective authors, artists and labels. Commercial use prohibited.

  Scripture quotations unless otherwise indicated are taken from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

  Scripture quotations marked KJV are taken from the King James Version of the Holy Bible.

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