Zephaniah 3:17 – The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing. (ESV)

As I write this on August 14, 2023, it is our thirtieth wedding anniversary. Caroline has posted on Facebook a picture of us on our wedding day. Oh, how young we looked then! It has made me reflect upon our journey together over time.

So many things have happened to us, and we have battled through them together. Up hill and down dale, we have managed to keep a roof over our heads, and our heads above water, both in this world and in God's kingdom. It has not been a stroll in the park, but still, our love remains. Even more amazing is God's love for us.

Today, we presented each other with gifts and then carried on with the day, as the children do their own thing, oblivious to our link. They are our greatest gift.

Back in the past, I bought a mug for Caroline and still it survives — no small feat. It is covered with little hearts of differing reds. There also used to be shiny gold hearts on the mug, but the years of washing with detergent have removed them, much like the years have done in taking the shine off our younger selves.

Over the thirty-three years since we first met, God has influenced our lives for the better, and I am mindful that we are not who we would have been in life if it were not for Jesus. He is the constant in our relationship. He sustains us through the times when we want to give up, or want to have the last word, or when we get our own back in revenge, and then He reminds us to moderate our extremes in the tendency to rush on ahead. In removing the shine, He grants the patience needed to ride the wave and prompts our humility to know and admit it — eventually — when we get it wrong. Still our devoted hearts cover over a multitude of failures.

What remains is a testimony to the constancy of Jesus with us. Even when we were not aware of it, Jesus stuck with us, not put off by our not hearing, or blowing hot or cold. His grace and love are there when we get mired in the world. His faithful love remains.

So, as Caroline and I celebrate, let all of us together rejoice and remember what God has done for each one of us, what He is doing, and is yet to do, because He is in the business of redemption through His unfailing love shown on the cross.

Let us call out to Him in faith, for He can be found. Even when we do not feel like it, Jesus is already there with us in reconciliation.

2 Timothy 2:13 – If we are faithless, he remains faithful — for he cannot deny himself. (ESV)

Prayer: Lord, thank You for always being there for us. Thank You that nothing and no one is beyond Your capacity to redeem. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.

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About the author:

Rod Marshall <roderickhenrymarshall@gmail.com>
Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England
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