Devotional 3-13-15

Till Death Us Do Part

Yesterday was my parents’ anniversary. If Mom were still with us, it would have been 57 years together for them. While I have to admit to not being there for the 1958 nuptials, I do feel certain that the traditional words, “till death do us part” were used in their traditional 1958 service. I witnessed those words played out over the years as a kid living at home and a grown up kid returning home. They shared many things while maintaining their own interests. Mom loved to go to the movies. Dad would have needed to be bound and gagged to get him inside a theater. Dad loved crafts and wood working. Upon their return from Gatlinburg (to see the crafts) Mom’s comment, with a grimace on her face, was that the sidewalks were uphill – both ways. My witness to the caring was never more pronounced than when the dreaded Alzheimer’s disease showed up in our family and prepared to take Mom away. In making a list of my Dad’s qualities, ‘patient’ would never make the list > not even way, way down the list. Alzheimer’s is not fast acting, and as Mom began to fade, Dad never missed a beat. He was never short with her for asking the same question over and over again or for dressing herself in only three socks on one foot and shirt and being ready to go to the mall. He cared for her at home beyond what was healthy for either of them. And once professional care in a professional place was sought, he visited EVERYDAY. He had taken a vow, and he loved my mom – period.

We take a vow when we join the church. We promise that we will serve Christ in union with the church that He has opened to people of all ages, nations and races. I looked again, and it really does say ALL; not just some or the convenient ones. We say that we will faithfully participate in the church’s ministries with our prayers, our presence, our gifts, our service and our witness. While I was in there I looked again at this too, and it doesn’t say anything about ‘when you feel like it’ or ‘only give gifts to those you think deserve it.’ It says pray, be there, give, serve and proclaim – period.

Jesus came and walked among us. He promised that he would never leave us and that he was going to prepare a place for us. He stretched his arms from one side of the cross to the other so that we would never be parted and said, “I love you this much – period.”

I pray that as we approach Eater we remember our vows; love God and love our neighbor – period.