No Greater Joy

I’ve had my share of life’s difficulties; most people at my age have.  But I’ve also had a lot of life’s joys.  Among the things at the top of my joy list are the privilege I have had to partner with God and my husband in creating two new lives and raising them to become grown men who now live on their own.  I have enjoyed every phase of their lives, watching them move from helpless babies to fully capable adults – complete with first steps, language development, school, extracurricular activities, graduations, colleges, and adult activities like marriage and careers.

But 3 John 4 best describes the pinnacle of my joy as a mother: “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.”  While the apostle John was referring to the churches that he had helped to start or nurture in the first century of Christianity, this verse aptly speaks to me as well. 

There are lots of reasons as a mother to have joy: children who are healthy; watching children learn and grow throughout their childhood; participating with them in activities that are fun and bring laughter; experiencing moments that bring pride in their accomplishments or abilities; and many more.  All mothers can usually find numerous reasons to be joyful while they’re raising their children.

But this verse reminds me that those wonderful reasons only bring a form of joy that is lesser.  As a Christian who sought to raise Christian children, there is no greater joy for me than to know that my children are choosing to walk in truth.  Even if walking in truth means that they aren’t very popular with their peers.  Even if walking in truth means trusting God for every step when others trust in themselves and might look more successful (by the world’s standards).  Even if walking in truth makes them different and less “normal”.  Even if walking in truth gains them only the approval of One.  And even if walking in truth is a painful or difficult path for them.

Thank you, Lord, for the Spirit’s role in helping me to discern truth and teach it to my children.  Thank you, Lord, for allowing me to experience pain in front of my children and model for them trust in you and the lack of fear that your presence brings.  Thank you, Lord, for helping my children to choose to trust you to lead them into whatever you know is best – even when it hurts.   Thank you, Lord, for the privilege of having the greatest      joy . . . to know that my children walk in truth.

Celebrating a Milestone!

Yesterday I celebrated a pretty decent milestone.  No, I’m not another year older – though that isn’t too far away; but my marriage is.  It has now been 35 years since my husband and I decided to publicly declare our love for each other and our desire to commit ourselves to a lifetime of living together and serving God together!  In some ways it seems like a long time ago, and in others it seems like just yesterday.

As a couple, we have experienced a lot of life’s ups and downs.  This has included painful physical illnesses and limitations, financial setbacks, changes in relationships with friends and family, and the constant process of spiritual growth both individually and together.  Life is like that for all of us – since we were created for eternity (Ecclesiastes 3:11), life here on earth falls short in some way for every one of us.  No matter how much joy we experience, there is always some level of pain as well.  But the beauty of celebrating an anniversary each year is the opportunity to reflect on the good things that God has done in our life together and the pieces of himself he has shown us through the years.  There’s always plenty of other time to recognize the hard times.

So today I am thankful for a husband who made a conscious and lasting commitment at the tender age of 19 to love me in spite of all my faults, which are many.  I’m thankful for a man who was willing to do whatever it took (sometimes 2 or 3 jobs) for me to be at home with our children fulltime.  I am thankful that my husband continues to be willing to work hard so that I can still be at home, where my heart has always been.  I’m thankful for a husband who loves God and desires to please and serve him first and foremost.

I’m also thankful for the way God has taken two young and naïve people and turned us into a couple that has been used by him in many ways that we never imagined when we got married.  In fact, some of our greatest ability to be used by God has come from some of our most painful experiences.  But that’s the way God works – he’s the only one with the ability to take what we call bad and turn it to good (Romans 8:28).  Our wedding ended with a song that asked God to make us the couple he wants us to be and to make our lives a sermon.  Today we see more clearly exactly what we were asking and how good God has been to answer that prayer the way he has – even though some of the answer has been painful.

Today I’m rejoicing that God can be counted on to complete the work that he started in us as a couple 35 years ago (Philippians 1:6).  We chose to commit our lives to each other and to God’s purposes in our marriage – but he’s the one who knew what he had planned and what each step of the way would look like.  I am so blessed and grateful for the gift of my husband and for God’s partnership with us in this marriage.  Another song in our wedding said it this way:

God, from the beginning, had it in his plan

To join into one flesh this woman and this man.

In the fullness of the Spirit’s love, we move to make our stand

For the binding of a promise between God, a woman and a man.   

Praise God that “a cord of three strands is not quickly broken” (Ecclesiastes 4:12).  I love you, Ron – looking forward to the rest of our journey together with God and each other!