When the path leads you home, after all of these years together and you have lived with your spouse “til death do us part …” what legacy will you leave behind?

This is a sad chapter for me to write on.  It is sad because this is the last chapter and last day in this series, but it is so much more than that.  It goes deeper in that this chapter talks of when you get to the end of your life and you go on home to be with the Lord.  It is sad for me to think of leaving my children behind.  It is sad to think of me leaving my spouse or having my spouse leave me to go on home.  It is sad as I sit and write this thinking of my parents who have been together close to 50 years and how they have shared everything together all of this time.  One day they will be forced to walk alone in life unless the Lord calls them both home at the same time.

I think of my grandmother who lost her husband and how lonely she was when she was forced to face life alone without him after he passed away.  She lived on several years after his passing, 12 years to be exact, but she loved him and missed him so.  She was so incredibly lonely.  While their marriage was not perfect and while they had their share of strife, they found a way to work it out and stay together.  They were best friends, and they did everything together.  They enjoyed retirement years together, and then one day, he fell ill all of a sudden and was rushed to the hospital by ambulance where it was later discovered by the hospital staff that he had an aneurysm.  They operated, but he developed more bleeds in the brain.  There wasn’t anything more the staff could do, and pretty soon a decision had to be made as to whether to discontinue the life support.  This was a decision that my grandma did not want to make, and so she called in her three children for them to make the decision together.  My dad did not want any part in this, and so he allowed my grandma and his brother and sister to make this decision while he prayed for a miracle.  Sadly, my granddaddy passed away a short time after they took him off of life support.  Through all of this, though, my grandmother did not leave my grandfather’s side.  She said she had been with him all of these years, she was not going to leave him now.  And so she stayed as long as she possibly could … until she was forced to leave the cold hospital room … without her life companion.

When we are fighting and fussing with each other, do we stop to think that all of our days are numbered?   None of us know if we will see tomorrow.  We don’t know if we’ll be one of the lucky ones that live well into our 80s like my grandmother did, or if we’ll be called home at an early age.  We hope we have a long life ahead of us and that God will allow us to be here to see our children grow up, graduate, go to college, get married, and start a family of their own.  We pray that God will allow us more time to be with our families, our children, our grandchildren, and to one day hopefully see our great grandchildren.  But, none of us are promised the gift of another day.

Lay your foundation early on in your marriage.  Commit yourselves to each other and to making it work!  Giving up is not an option.  Staying together no matter what comes your way should be your top priority.  Love like Jesus – for we love because He first loved us!

Leave a beautiful legacy behind for your children to talk about long after you’re gone.  Give them something to boast about with their children as they talk of how they witnessed the love you two shared and how you two did special things for each other.  Let them be a witness to you walking hand in hand and heart to heart into your golden years together as best friends, partners in life, and life long companions.  Let them be a witness to your living happily ever after.

If you have been on the fence during this 31 day series and not sure what direction you should take with your marriage, we hope that this series has been an encouragement to you to keep fighting the good fight.  Hold on a little longer, a little tighter, and pray for your spouse and your marriage.  Pray together, and ask God to help you in your marriage.  When things look bleak, remember … all things are possible with God!

What are some things that you have held inside of your heart all of this time and just haven’t spoken to your spouse?  What are some things that you’ve had on your heart that you really need to say?  Won’t you take the time today to let your spouse hear those words not only from your lips but from your heart?  Share them today while you still have the chance.  Write it all down if you are better with the written word than speaking them verbally, but it is important that you say what you need to say now while you still have the chance!

We hope you have been encouraged through this 31 day series.  It has helped me, personally, and I feel it has helped my marriage.  This series came at just the right time when we were struggling.  I can see God’s hand in this and how He is working miracles in my marriage.  He can do this with yours as well, if you only allow Him to.

Thank you so much for joining us!  May God be with you all and help strengthen your marriage and draw you closer to each other as you walk together with Him.

For all posts in this 31 day series, click here.

Buy the book on Amazon: When Couples Walk Together: 31 Days to a Closer Connection