Last month, a few of our family and friends gathered in Challis, ID, to celebrate my parents’ 50th wedding anniversary.  We spent time doing the things they love--camping, floating the river, eating good food, drinking wine, dancing, soaking in the hot springs, and enjoying good conversation around the campfire.  Dad even got to go golfing and had one of his best games!  On the last evening, we gathered for a little party. After some toasts, Dad went around the room introducing people—sharing how he knew them and how they had touched his and Mom’s lives.  I was struck by the beauty of their community and the purposeful interweaving of the stories within that community. I loved hearing of how the Lord used my parents to touch and enrich the lives of every person in that room.  And, also how He used every person in that room to touch and enrich my parents’ lives.  We all would not be the same people without each other! 

As in any marriage, my mom and dad have had their share of challenges—school, work, job changes, buying and selling businesses, financial stress, building a home, moving, navigating differing opinions, having children, managing a household, losing a baby, losing parents, home improvement projects, depression, physical health challenges, and major life changes just to name a few.  Through the ups and downs, God has been gracious to not only help them learn to sacrifice for one another and love each other well but also to love those around them well, and to surround themselves with a community that loves them well too.  James 1:17 reminds us: “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father.”  So, I give praise today to God for the good gift of my parents, the good gift of 50 years of marriage, and the good gift of the incredible people He has surrounded them with for the journey.

By Katie Miller

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