Commitment

It started as a normal Wednesday in the life of one a young German gal. She was up at 5 am to have breakfast on the table for 7 am for all the patrons of the home. She already knew what would be on the menu for the three meals she prepared today. She’s planned it last week, as she wanted her last day working in this senior’s home to go smoothly. And she wanted the last three meals to as good as any others she had made over the months. But even as she prepared breakfast, her thought were on all that would be happening between now and Friday morning when she knew she’d have to have her first breakfast ready at her new job. Feeding a bunch of cowboys and keeping them all happy would be a definite change from cooking for seniors. She could just image how hungry those boys would be and she know breakfast had to be ready at 5 am. So today was her last day on the job and tomorrow she had to move 100 miles to the new ranch and get settled into her new life.

Yes, her new life. Today was her wedding day! Tomorrow her honeymoon and they were spending it moving. Life was exciting. Her borrowed wedding dress was hung and hanging in the closet. All the food for the reception was ready to be served. She was so thankful the owner of the nursing home had allowed her to use the lobby for her wedding as that would make things so much easier for her. She’s also arranged to serve supper a little earlier – at 430 so she hoped to be finished by 5. That should give her enough time to get everything set up for their small reception and to dress for the wedding at 7 pm. It would be a small wedding as all their family, except one of her soon to be husband’s sister, were all in Germany. So her soon to be sister in law would be her bridesmaid.

It was a wonderful day. Everything went as she had planned. Good food, good friends, good time by all. And she was married and so in love. After all, this was the young man she had followed to Canada the year before. Engaged while still in Germany, they had committed to each other and to seeking a new life and a new country. Now they were together and off they went to the new job at the new ranch.

Committed to each other and to creating the life of their dreams. Not everything has gone as she dreamt of early that Wednesday morning. But that is how life goes. Ups and downs. Good and bad. Sickness and health. The commitment has not changed.

It’s now 56 years later. Today, it’s another Wednesday and I reflect back to that Wednesday in 1952. Now I wasn’t there. In fact, I didn’t show up until a year later. But that was the day my family was created. That was the day my mom made her commitment to the handsome charming German fella I’ve known as my dad.

Life, and definitely weddings, has changed over the years. (Can you imagine working a full day on your wedding day and then moving the next day? I can’t.) But the term commitment hasn’t. That’s how God planned marriage – two people leaving their families, committing to each other and to Him, creating a new family.

I am so thankful I was blessed be being born into this family. I love you mom and dad! Thank you for your wonderful example.

Father, thank you for my parents and that you have blessed them with 56 years. I count each day they are in my life as a blessing from you. Give them health and peace and may you grant them many more years of togetherness before You take them home.