Old marriage

Growing up, I wanted to be a missionary. I was certain I possessed a truth that was needed by people in far-off countries. Now grown up, I have come to believe that the place most in need of God’s love is my own heart.

I wrote my husband a poem last summer. In it, I spoke of my comfort of being with him for all these years. I wished that we could continue this way forever. This is a true statement, but not the whole truth. That same summer I chastised him vehemently. I told him that in all the years of our marriage he had never pushed his chair back under the table after a meal! We laughed about it later, but I wonder, where did that come from? Are we the only ones for whom rage sometimes seethes beneath a placid surface?

A charcoal drawing hanging in our dining room belonged to my husband’s parents. An old couple sits in front of a cottage, framed by climbing roses. They appear smiling and content. Is that the whole story?

Mother Teresa once said the way a person can best serve God is to “Go home and love your family.” Let it be so.

This message was adapted from “Old Marriage” written by Mary Mortimore Dossin that first appeared in the May 2010 issue of Lutheran Woman Today (now Gather) magazine. for articles about faith, action, comfort and community.