When I was praying and asking God what I should write about for my blog this week, I realized what day this is – my anniversary! It would have been my 63rd, except my husband, Autry, has been gone for 11 years.

I was very young when we married, but, like my parents, I wanted my marriage to last “till death us do part,” and it did. We had very little money at the start, no phone to call back home (sent letters weekly), lived a thousand miles away from our families in a small trailer while he was in the Marine Corps. It was just the two of us (and my little black kitten!). We had a “doggy bank” on our mantle where we would toss our 50 cent pieces. This was our emergency fund which was often put to use or once in awhile used for a date out! Yes, there were hard times but never did we ever want to give up. Those times drew us closer.

As the years went on, God was the center of our lives and our family. He would be the One who would direct our path, give us wisdom, provide our needs, help us through many difficult situations. When the health issues increased in later years He was our strength, peace and hope.

Life is never easy. Marriage is beautiful but it also isn’t the easiest. But I can assure you, with God at your side you don’t have to give up. You don’t have to quit. God doesn’t want you to. From the beginning of time God has blessed the union of man and wife.

“And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man. And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man. Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife; and they shall be one flesh.” Gen. 2:22:24

May your marriage be one of “till death us do part.”