Then things changed. My income was lost when my portfolio tanked. We lost our home, our cars, our posessions and were forced to leave the dream home I'd designed and built. It broke our hearts. However, our faith was strong and it was tested beyond where we ever thought it could be. But love and the commitment we made when we were married anchored us and bound us together.
Sometimes we feel as if all is lost when things fall apart. How can we stand alone to face the horrible things life throws at us? Leading a charmed life means nothing when you haven't faced adversity and there are no challenges to surmount. God doesn't give us anything we can't handle, so you have to pick yourself up and dust yourself off....then begin again.
Sure, I could get depressed or angry, but why? Things happen in life - that's a fact. Loved ones become ill and die. Illness strikes and you have to handle it. Sometimes being an adult isn't much fun and learning to do without all of those luxuries you feel you must have slams you back into reality that you CAN do without them. No Iphones, IPods, Ipads, High Def televisions, etc., they simply aren't necessary. But love and commitment are. There is no shame in being poor - you simply have to learn to re-prioritize.
When we had been in La Crosse for about four years, we ended up being forced out of our home by an unscrupulous leasing agent and we had to live at the Salvation Army for a month. We had to give up our beloved pets, one of whom died during our ordeal. Mick and I were separated at night and the only time we really saw one another was after work for a couple of hours. That was it. People kept asking us how we could still smile through all the adversity we were in and we explained it was simple. We had made a commitment through the good times and the bad. Through sickness and health and through want and plenty. And we put our focus on God and His constant love for us. He is always the third person in our marriage - always.
After we found this apartment and our wonderful landlord Dave, things began to look up. Then Mick got laid off for six months. And I had to give up working because of my Post Polio. I poured my time into writing and finished up the final two books, getting them into print, but probably because of the cost, they haven't sold very well. But that's okay. Another learning experience and that's a good thing.
Now, Mick is unemployed again and our economy hasn't picked up yet. He has health problems and is trying to quit smoking...not an easy task after doing it for 42 years. One step forward - three steps backward. But once again, the tests come...and go. We are still standing strong.
For those who are considering marriage, just married or those oldsters (like us) who have been married for a long time, it's always good to look back and see what kind of glue is holding you together. God's love is for Eternity. It's very real and tangible. And it really doesn't matter what denomination you belong to - God knows your heart - what you really need to make your life complete. For us, the challenges we face could have torn us apart numerous times and we still have many more to go. But our love and commitment are strong and even the Salvation Army experience made us stronger.
Thanks to my friend Alma for her floral photos.
