It was only three little words, but they caused so much swelling emotion deep within my soul. They’re words most of us have written, slapped down, often written sloppily and not given much thought when we've scribbled them onto some paper when leaving a message for our children.
This particular time, the document to be signed was a simple little yellow form where a message could be written and delivered along with a pizza during finals week at my son’s college. A parent organization uses this event as a fund raiser. The money goes to a good cause, and besides, I knew my son would love a pizza delivered to his room while he is up all night studying.
It isn’t as if I had never written those words before, I mean after-all, I have been a parent now for twenty years. I’ve written it on cards, gifts, notes and have spoken similar words again and again. But, this time, it was fresh; it was the most beautiful gift, a sort of miracle, to even be able to place those three words onto that small yellow form.
I’ve been married for twenty-two years. I married my high school sweetheart. Being one to keep a journal, I even have an entry dated on our wedding day. The end of the entry states “today, I promised to love, honor and cherish until the day I take my last breath, and that is just what I intend on doing, no matter what.” Now, had I known about the “no matter what,” beforehand, I would have cowered in the basement of the church, refusing to go through with the ceremony. God knows if he reveals too much about our future, we wouldn’t be able to stand it. It is for our own protection. When the time is right, we will have to fight our battles, when the time comes, we finally learn to lay down our sword and trust him to do the fighting.
It was wonderful, being married, we were blessed with three beautiful children, for years, it was bliss, but then, something ugly crept into our lives. It attempted to tear our family apart. It did it’s best to make us a statistic; a house divided; a broken home. After some time, many suggested throwing-in-the-towel. I have to admit, there were days when that towel looked pretty good, but, I knew, deep in my heart that I had made a vow, a promise and I was going to keep it, “no matter what.”
Time moved on, the monster had devoured so much, there was little sign of hope; only hope itself. Still, I believed deep within my being that there would be a miracle, that our family would be restored. It didn’t matter how difficult life became, I would wait, wait, for my beloved - even if it meant waiting a lifetime.
A lifetime, I thought, just might be the length of time I would wait. My children and I had been through so much... Indeed, we did become stronger, it did grow our faith, we did draw closer and we learned to be content with little. However, it takes its toll, this anguish of the heart. Just in the darkest hour, the morning sun broke through; our miracle happened.
In front of family and friends my husband and I celebrated God's redemption and restoration in our lives by renewing our vows. We all stood together a redeemed family, a testimony to the faithfulness of God. The tears of joy were only outnumbered by the smiles of adulation by those who were sharing in our celebration that day. People came that we hardly knew; they wanted to be a part of this day – in a time when so many choose the easy way out. The years the locusts had eaten away were long forgotten, the winter was over, spring had come at last. The years of hardship melted away like a forgotten dream and all things became new and wonderful.
Writing those words on my son’s pizza form meant more to me than being handed a million dollars. Those three words, are a powerful testimony of what can happen when you don’t lose hope, when you never give-up and when you experience the miracle God had waiting for you all along. “Love, Mom and Dad” signed in any small yellow box - those three simple words will never be taken for granted in this home.
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