Love transcends all...

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Today is another Thankful Thursday and I am excited to share with you what I am thankful for today.  As I sat down to write, I asked myself the question "What am I thankful for today?"  Almost immediately, a vision of my parents popped into my head.  I took from that that God wanted me to consider how blessed I am to have them.

I won't even begin to pretend that my parents are perfect; they are not.  They are flawed human beings just like the rest of us.  If I know my God, He created each of us and He is aware of our flaws, yet He loves us anyway!  That is definitely something to be thankful for, isn't it?  

My parents' story is amazing...well, it is to me.  They knew 'of' each other in high school, but they didn't know each other.  My dad was quite the prankster and Mama was not.  One day, my mom needed a ride to the hospital to visit the guy she had seen once or twice.  Just so happened that my dad offered her a ride.  I'm not sure if Mama ever did get to see the other guy or not.    See, after that 'meeting,' my parents began seeing each other.  Within 2 weeks they were engaged and 1 week later they were married.  Their 54th wedding anniversary was just a couple of weeks ago on August 11th. 

It wasn't until about 21 months later that I appeared on the scene.  My brother followed 17 months after me. 

It was a rocky road in the beginning, however.  My dad was just 17 years old and his mother didn't like my mom.  My grandparents did all they could to try to end the marriage.  In fact, they somehow managed to force my dad into the army, figuring that the separation would end the marriage.  Obviously, it didn't!  When his time was up, he came right back home to his wife!  My grandpa came to love my mom very much but Grandma was never her biggest fan.  I think it ticked her off that they had staying power.  Mom always treated my grandma with love and respect even though she probably didn't want to.  My mom's parents, on the other hand, were great fans of my dads.  My dad was much closer to Mama's folks than his own.  The love my parent's had / have for each other transcends any objections.  Their union is blessed by God!

As with any marriage, the 54 years of their marriage have been a mix of good and bad.  A marriage is never all good.  If there were no bad, how could we appreciate the good times?  My parents have always been loving...to my brother and me and to each other.  I will never forget when we moved to where they live now.  We found a church to attend and when we could go, my dad would always open the car door and the church door for mom.  They would hold hands in church.  They acted as if they were newlyweds according to some of the church members.  In fact, there was a little rumor going around trying to figure out which of us kids belonged to which parent...after all, they couldn't have been married long...not the way they acted!

That's how I grew up.  I was blessed to have parents that love each other and love their children.  I was blessed to live in a home where Mama was able to be a stay at home mom.  Even though most moms stayed home in those days, not all did.  I count it a blessing that Daddy did not want Mama to work.  He felt like her work was us kids and our home.  That's not being anti-woman or anything.  Mama felt the same way.  I know that in today's world, it takes a multiple income family to survive.  There is nothing wrong with that, but I count it a blessing to have been the product of a family that chose to live according to what one income could provide.  We didn't have much.  We never took vacations or had brand new vehicles.  But Daddy did everything he had to to provide for us.  I look back and remember him coming home from work totally beat.  Mama would have dinner ready when he got home.  Just as Daddy provided the money needed for his family to survive, Mama provided a loving, stable home life for him.

I am so very thankful for the family God chose to bless me with.  It is because of my parents' love for one another and their love for their God that I am the woman I am today.  They taught me so much...not with lessons, but by example.  They lived a life in front of me that permeates my being today.  They are a kind, loving example of a family committed to God. 

Yes, I am thankful for my parents!  Thank you, Mama & Daddy, for the love you gave me throughout my growing up years and into my adult life.  Thank you, Mama & Daddy, for being Godly examples of a husband and wife.  You have blessed me with great wisdom and insight into being a wife, mother and friend.  I love you both so very much.  I pray that you will always know that I love you and am so proud to call you Mama & Daddy!

I pray that you, the reader, will take a moment or two to reflect on those persons in your life that have been examples of God's love to you.  Take a few moments to offer words of thanks to those people...either verbally or on paper.  Let them know that they mean the world to you.

Have a thankful day,