Love and Marriage

Valentine’s Day is just mere days away; this has gotten me thinking about love and marriage. Not just any love and marriage, rather those closest to my heart. I’m thinking of my grandparents’ love for one another. In 1 Corinthians 13: 4-8a, the Bible says, “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.” (NIV) Well, in the great love story that is Teda and Stocky’s I’ve learned that love is not always patient nor kind. Sometimes it is rude, self-seeking, easily angered and often keeps record of wrongs. It often protects, trusts and does always hope. In their case, love has persevered. Has their marriage and love been perfect? Far from it. But when the chips were down and Teda was diagnosed with colon cancer almost twenty years ago, Stocky cared for her. He was patient, he was kind. He was not easily angered. Not an easy feat for a man dealing with a sick, stubborn Chisolm. Now, I see my grandfather in a battle of his own. He is often in the past, but always looking for Teda to guide him to the present. Teda’s love for Stocky is one that I see differently than others. I see that he too is her world. He is the smartest, kindest man she’s ever known. She loves him more than she can put into words. As they are about to spend Valentine’s Day together in a rehabilitation hospital because she will not leave his side, I consider myself lucky to have learned that love is NOT perfect. It is about weathering the storms. It is about loving someone: faults and all. It’s about liking the one you are married to. It’s about creating a history that can guide you back to the present. xoxoxo