“Our once great western Christian civilization is dying. If this matters to followers of Jesus Christ, then we must set aside our denominational differences and work together to strengthen the things that remain and reclaim what has been lost. Evangelicals and Catholics must stand together to re-establish that former Christian culture and moral consensus. We have the numbers and the organization but the question is this: Do we have the will to win this present spiritual battle for Jesus Christ against secularism? Will we prayerfully and cooperatively work toward a new Christian spiritual revival ― or will we choose to hunker down in our churches and denominationalisms and watch everything sink into the spiritual and moral abyss of a New Dark Age?” - Mark Davis Pickup

Sunday, January 6, 2019

MARRIAGE AND A LIFETIME OF MEMORIES

Our 1st dance on
our wedding day
1973
My wife, LaRee, and I were lying in bed talking. We started to reminisce about our life together spanning nearly 50 years. There are so many beautiful, intimate memories—happy tender moments only we know. There were sorrows when all we had was each other, ecstatic joys we shared when our children and grandchildren were born. The reminiscing continued into the night; there is a long, deep river of shared mutual and exclusive memories. We held each other in that deep soul-bond only time can build.

At one point, LaRee wondered why couples separate and divorce after decades together? There was no judgment, only curious sadness. (We're both are sadly aware of tragic marital situations involving abuse, addictions and infidelity. She's very understanding in those circumstances. Our early years of marriage did involve alcoholism.)

After long-term marriages end, where do their histories go? Who do they share their exclusive and most intimate memories with that were accumulated over many years? If their love for each other has cooled or died ... isn't it worth trying to revive?

Somebody might say that I don't understand their circumstances. They are right. All I have to go on is my own experience of a love affair with LaRee that began when we were teenagers. If she was to leave
me now, she would take away the very heart of me (to borrow a line of Peter Cetera's song "If You Leave Me Now").

When you meet someone what has been left (either by divorce or death) be tender and kind. Their heart has been broken at some point and their dreams of a previous time were dashed and died. They need your love and understanding.


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