I can see them now, Dad in a pair of old pants…the seat worn shiny and threadbare, a long sleeved shirt and a hat to ward off skin cancers to which he was prone…trudging behind his lawnmower at age 90 and Mom in a mousey looking house dress, a dish towel draped over her arm as she smoothed out used aluminum foil, washed it and put it away for another day and another use.
It was the time for fixing things. A curtain rod, the kitchen radio, screen door, the oven door, the hem in a dress. My Mom made most of her clothes until arthritis crippled her fingers. She kept everything…even shards of bar soap. It was a way of life, and sometimes it made me crazy.
- Use it up
- Wear it out
- Make it do or
- Do without
All that re-fixing, eating, renewing, I wanted just once to be wasteful. She only gave me 1/2 stick of gum. Today, sometimes I will chew the entire pack at one time. Waste meant affluence. Throwing things away meant you knew there’d always be more.
But then Mom died suddenly one February morning, and on that day before Valentine’s Day, in the company of my Dad (her husband for 70 years) she held his hand and whispered her last, “I’ll see you in the morning,” I was struck withthe pain of recognition that sometimes there just isn’t any more.
Sometimes, what we care about most gets all used up and goes away never to return. So… While you have it … it’s best to love it … and care for it … and fix it when it’s broken … and heal it when it’s sick.
This is true. For marriage … and old cars … and children with bad report cards … and dogs with bad hips or cancer … and aging parents … and grandparents. You keep them because they are worth it, because you are worth it.
Some things you keep. Like a best friend who moved away or a classmate you grew up with.
There are just some things that make life important, like people we know who are special …
You may have been married a long time or short, but marriage is important. Too many of you get into a rut and just go through the motions. Your marriage is special whether or not you are giving it special care or not. It is never too late to fix or renew your marriage. You CAN recover whatever has been lost.
One way is to engage with us for a Marriage 3.0 weekend.
Final Note
Develop a servant’s heart toward each other. Start today
and continue every day telling your mate,
“I love you, because______________.
Figure out what blesses your spouse and then do it well and often. The 5 Love Languages Quiz is a great tool. Clink on the link, take the quiz and bless each other every day.
Families matter to the Iveys. You do not have to use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without. Holler if need help.
