Intertwined in the Rock That Will Never Let Go

Last week was our 34th wedding anniversary, and for 38 years we have been harassing each other in some way or another. We were just teenagers when we fell in love: we started out as seedlings and have grown up together.

I took some time each day last week to reflect on why I kinda like my hub, to remember some of our times together, and to write notes of appreciation to him.

I did this because I feel like things can get sort of routine, and I know that I have been taking him for granted because he just shows up every day for us. He is such a constant that I can depend on.

We both can kind of get that way: just living a routine in and out, and taking one another for granted. But that doesn’t have to be some sort of sign that romance has run out. It can just be that you are comfortable, like at home.

He is home to me, and I to him. He is my person.

But it is still good to stir up the heart and stoke the fire, and anniversaries are great for that.

We had no idea what to do for our anniversary this year because it sort of crept up on us because life is busy. No problem. We spontaneously hit the road out of town, took in a play, laughed at the “modern art” at the museum, listened to live music, ate yummy food that dripped all over our chins, walked by the river, and took the long way home.

A couple of years ago, I tried to capture in a painting how I feel about these two little seedlings that have grown up together. Each element in the painting has a meaning.

Rooted in Rock.

The roots of each of these trees are anchored tightly into bedrock. 

Our lives, both individually and collectively, are grounded firmly on the rock that is Christ. He is our source of strength and stability. We have tried to build our personal lives, our marriage, and our family on Christ, which has been a foundation during all the seasons of life.

If the hold of either of the trees fails, the rock still holds on to them so that they cannot be uprooted.

Intertwined Growth.

These trees have grown laced together, yielding a collective strength that would be absent without the other. They support, and are dependent on, one another.

Each tree’s direction of growth has influenced the shape of the other, and they have created a single structure. To try to remove one would damage the other. When one tree needs strength, the other holds it up.

If you look with an imagination, you might even be able to see a degree of passion in the posture of these trees, as well. 😉

Growing by the Water.

These trees have seen during years of experience that this principle from Psalms 1 is true: the one who cherishes the Word of God is like a tree planted by the rivers of water. They draw life and refreshment from God’s Word, and it has never failed to sustain them.

Autumn Sunset.

Each tree is in its Autumn season. The labours of Spring and Summer have produced their fruits, but there is still much work to be done. It is time to preserve and enjoy the harvest and to give thanks to the Creator.

The leaves add vibrancy to the landscape, but also  serve as a reminder that the year is not forever, and that winter, with its own radiance, is coming. And, after that, the year will reach its end.

The sun is lower in the sky, and the daylight is almost spent, which will eventually yield to the splendor of the night sky.

It is a time for reflecting on the trials and blessings of the time that has passed, and for recognizing the temporal nature of this life.

The trees have a history that points to future Hope that the Rock will never let go.

We have seen God work through the years of our life together, and we have been so richly gifted by His Grace: He has seen fit to allow us to grow intertwined together.

I do not know what our futures hold as Winter and the Night approaches.

A soft snowfall might bring a sparkling elegance not seen in the seasons before. Or the North Wind could fiercely blow and bring bitter cold. One of the trees could go to sleep before the other does, leaving the other tree feeling fearful in the cold and dark.

But the Rock will never let go.

I am trusting that the same God who has seen us through all of life’s trials and blessings will also be there for us for our futures. even if stuff gets scary. I have no reason to believe otherwise.

The trees may lose their vitality, but the Rock will never let go.

Thank you, my dear hub, for all the years of faithfulness and joy you have brought to my life!

And thanks be to God, who gives beyond measure and who sustains during trials. And to the Rock who will never let us go.