Cutting the Cake! – 4th June 1966
Golden Wedding!
By Helen Jesze, 4th June 2016
“He who finds a (true) wife finds a good thing and obtains favor from the Lord, ”
Proverbs 18, 22 The Amplified Bible
On 4th June 1966, at Hockley Church in Birmingham, England George and I were married – 50 years ago, and Saturday was our GOLDEN WEDDING!
“I take thee, Helen Margaret Graham to be my lawful wedded wife, to have and to hold, for better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish till death us do part…”
These are some of the vows we exchanged in the traditional English marriage ceremony. Fortunately we said the words correctly, not like a Bulgarian friend who was marrying his Swedish fiancee, and whose English was not too good, and he said: “I take thee to be my awful wedded wife…” and wondered why the congregation was laughing!
One of our sons visited us last week from abroad and brought us a little wooden plaque with a picture of a bride and groom on it, and the words written:
“The first 50 years of marriage are always the hardest”
Well, I am not so sure about that, and I would not wish that on anybody(!), but through the years I have often remembered the words of a pastor’s wife when I was still single, who said: “Ah, you young girls, you think marriage is all moonlight and roses, but a good marriage has to be built!” I looked over at my friend who was drying the dishes with me and we were thinking: “Well, Winnie, your marriage may not have been that way, but our’s will be, when we get our husbands!”
Winnie’s words were true, and in these 50 years there have been plenty of “moonlight and roses”, but also challenges and choices – through it all, building this structure of “marriage”. I was thinking of some more “G’s” this morning:
Marriage was God’s idea.
Many people may think that two people living together is just the same as being married. But God sees it very differently. Jesus spoke this clearly to the Samaritan woman at the well in John chapter 4:”For you have had five husbands, and the man you are now living with is not your husband…”
“Let marriage be held in honor (esteemed worthy, precious, of great price, and especially dear) in all things. And thus let the marriage bed be undefiled )kept undishonored); for God will judge and punish the unchaste (all guilty of sexual vice) and adulterous,”
Hebrews 13, 4 The Amplified Bible
Letting God choose for us
As born again Believers, who we marry is probably the greatest decision we will make. God has a plan for our life and if we call him “Lord”, he has the right to choose our marriage partner. Very often people take a partner for purely romantic reasons, not realising that the “love” we have for someone when we are aged 17, will not carry us through the challenges of Life together.
George says that when he first saw me, he had a great peace in his heart, and he knew I was the one for him. I took a bit longer to see this, and was not sure, but I remember when God spoke to me. George was parking the car, I was sitting behind him, and the words came clearly to me: “This man is to be your husband.”
Satan wants to lead us off God’s path and may make it look almost right, yet God’s way is best. But so great is our Father’s love and mercy that when we make mistakes he will forgive, heal and lead us back into his way. While God hates divorce, yet he loves all those who have been shipwrecked on this rock, and wants to clean up their lives, untangle every knot and help them to start afresh.
God’s Grace
Many people have died or are divorced before they get to their Golden Wedding, but we have had this privilege, and we acknowledge that it was God’s grace which has enabled us to come to this milestone and sustained us all through the years. He was faithful when sometimes we were unfaithful.
Got this far
Yes, we’ve got this far and we’re still Going forward with the Lord’s help and looking forward to more years together, and more years serving our Master! There are many things which would discourage us all in Life, but I want to encourage you today to keep on, and you will see victory. You can do all things through Christ which strengthens you!
Giving thanks
I want to thank all those reading this who have blessed and encouraged us in some way, prayed for us, stood by us in difficult times, helped us in a practical or financial way, believed in us, spoken into our lives and are still friends after many years.
I want to thank George, my husband, who has loved and cared for me these 50 years, encouraged and released me for God’s working in my life.
I want to thank God for the three children and two grandchildren he gave us, and for the privilege of being and having a family.
Lastly, I thank the Lord for every “good and perfect gift which has come down from the Father of lights, in whom is no variableness nor shadow of turning”. He showers his lavish mercy on those who love him and those who could not care less about him.
Prayer: Thank you Heavenly Father for your great mercy and kindness to us today and through the years. Bless every one who reads devotionalsjust4u!!
I speak encouragement into their hearts today, answers to prayer, solutions where confusion reigns at present, assurance and new opportunities where disappointment would seek to paralyse their emotions.
Great and mighty is our God; help us to hold that firm in our hearts today. In the Name of Jesus we pray, Amen.
George and Helen at our pastor Bishop Neal’s 20thanniversary celebrations
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