40 Years of Marriage

May 29, 1971 seems like such a long time ago, I can still remember that morning waking up at Mom and Dad's house as tho it were yesterday. I never knew that a young 19 year old girl could or would be lavished with so much love and caring from one young strapping good-looking blue eyed man. Lee and I had met when we were in the 6th grade at our church and it was only for a brief time of meeting him that he moved back to Oklahoma with him Mother and young brother. I didn't think much about it at the time, but just thought Wow, that guy at chuch was so cute and he had to move back to Oklahoma, that was just my luck. Growing up I never really dated that much and even the guys I dated were-well, now looking back losers and as my daughters now say "Mom, what were you thinking?"....I don't know what do you think of when you are 13? Uh....Boys. Well, as the next couple of years would have it I went on with my life and Lee went on with his life in Oklahoma never knowing that God was working behind the scenes (like we would see him work so many times in our future lives) putting these two 19 year old kids together.
In the summer we both turned 16 and were about to embark upon the 10th grade, Lee's Mother decided it was to move back to Tally. Boy was I excited when in the back of the church walked this blue eyed boy with long wavy blonde hair, he almost looked like a blonde Elvis (well to me he did). I was on cloud 9 the rest of the day and for awhile after that, until my cousin announced that she was going out with my guy, my blue eyed, blonde (Elvis) haired boy. I was so sad, I really thought he was for me and that God had set everything up for me just the way I wanted and then she gets him?
Well they didn't last for too long and I was on the prey again, praying and claiming what was rightfully mine. And with some help from a friend I went on my very first date with the blue eyed "Elvis" to a Sunday School party and the rest is pretty much history.
We dated from that moment on and our Senior year of High School he asked me to marry him and the next year we were married on May 29, 1971.
I am rambling on with all this in trying to tell a story, but the real story is that God does work behind the scenes in our lives, even at an early age when he is deciding who our soulmates will be and even when he is deciding what children we will have. God already knows. His word promises us in Jeremiah 29 vs 11 "For I know the plans I have for you, plans to give you a hope and a future".
As Lee and I look back over 40 years of marriage we can see God's plan he has had for us and we look forward to the future to the plan's yet unseen by us that God has planned. He is faithful
In the words of our favorite singer Karen Carpenter:
"We've Only Just Begun To Live"...