MARRIAGE IS FOR LIFE

Story not about this family, but was told to Wendell, my son, and his new bride back in 1982,front row. 

Our 3 grandchildren and grandson in law, granddaughter in law.

COMMITMENT IN MARRIAGE

There was a couple who had two little children. They lived on a farm and it was in the early 1900’s. She usually didn’t go to town with him on Saturday afternoons, because of having to get the two little ones ready and it was not an easy chore keeping up with them while they were in town, and buying what they needed. So most of the time her husband went alone and did the shopping.

One Saturday afternoon when he went to do the shopping, he came back later that night, and then every Saturday he came back later and later.

One of her neighbors told her one day that he was going to the dances and dancing with a lot of the young women there. This young wife and mother didn’t know what to do about it and her neighbor told her to get herself fixed up and when he came in from the field to be ready to go to town with him.

She said that she couldn’t…she had those two little children to take care of. The neighbor pleaded with her to let her come get them and keep them that night. So that is what she decided to do.

The next Saturday when her husband came in from work at noon, she had his lunch all fixed and she was dressed to go. He asked her what she was dressed up for. She said, “I’m going to town with you today.”

He said, “You can’t…What about the babies?” She said, “Our neighbor is taking care of them all night.” He got really mad.

She said, “I know you have been going to the dances and I am going to go to the dance with you.”

Her husband said, “Wouldn’t you be a pretty thing to take to a dance?”

Can’t you just imagine that remark felt like a knife cutting through her heart?

She swallowed her pride and the lump in her throat and said, “I’m just as pretty as the day you married me…and if you are going to the dance, I am going with you.”

He just went back outside and harnessed up the team and went back to the field. He never went to the dances again.

They stayed married and raised those two children plus they had 6 more children. They all married and raised families of their own and stayed together. None of their 8 children were ever divorced. Most now have grown old and passed away.

Now, can you just imagine what would have happened if this woman had let her pride hurt her enough to end their marriage. How many lives would have been changed? Commitment in marriage meant something to her. It needs to mean something to us today.

This woman was 90 years old when she related this story to us. I thought she was just telling this for her own benefit…maybe she was still hurting from it, but I realized later that she didn’t tell it for her own benefit. She told it for the sake of myself and my wife. We had at that time, recently married and she wanted us to know the meaning of commitment in a marriage.

By Wendell Ingram

May your home be strong enough to keep evil out….
And gentle enough to keep love in.”

–E. L. Ingram