By wisdom a house is built,
by understanding it is prepared,
and by knowledge its rooms are filled
with every rare and pleasing treasure. Proverbs 24:3-4, TLV

Fifty Years!     Today, Bob and I celebrate our fiftieth anniversary. Still finding it difficult to comprehend that we’ve been married five decades. It is a quiet celebration—just the two of us.

I chose today’s verses because folks ask us how we’ve stayed together for so long. As a follower of Yeshua, we have the typical responses to that question, but I liked these verses because they house an abundance of practical insights into a successful relationship—at least ours have sure benefited.

May I break it down?

• “By wisdom a house is built”: there is no doubt a marriage is built. If you’ve ever built a house (and we’ve built four of the seven houses we’ve owned), you know that if the foundation isn’t stable the rest of the house will suffer over time.
  • Being believers at the time of our marriage—and our relationship with the Father is critical—it was decades before we realized the significance of God’s wisdom.
  • Just as we used wisdom and experience and knowledge to build a house, we needed His wisdom to build this marriage.
  • How grateful that we understand now how important His wisdom is to the success of our relationship.
• “…by understanding it is prepared”: when one has an active role in the construction of a new home (or major remodeling), one knows their home in a way that others don’t. At least not until there are major repairs and we learn what was done wrong and we’re forced to learn to repair it.
  • When we understand all that went into the construction of our home, we understand what can and cannot be done—how it functions is part of our understanding because we were part of the beginning.
  • We also appreciate the construction process and remember how important attention to details are. Yet also understanding there is no such thing as perfection.
  • How does that benefit us? Bob and I have learned each other’s frailties. We respect them—even when we find them frustrating—and give each other grace and mercy. And forgiveness.
• “…and by knowledge its rooms are filled with every rare and pleasing treasure.”: guess what? Over the years we’ve learned that stuff isn’t our treasure. We are. Our families. Those relationships.
  • Right now, Bob and I are preparing for yet another move—that’s number 20, folks—and we have fifty years of stuff we’ve accumulated. Stuff that for the most part is not rare or pleasing treasures.
  • Being able to define the emotional and spiritual treasures from the stuff is far more precious and valuable. In fact, as we clean the attic, garage, and all the closets and drawers, I wonder how much time we’ve wasted managing stuff rather than investing that time into our marriage?

We are so grateful for our life together. When I say I love Bob more than I did the day we said, “I do”, it is not a platitude. Our bodies are wrinkling more each day, and our hearing and memory isn’t what it used to be, but our stewardship is just as important—perhaps more—as it was fifty years ago.

We laugh more and aren’t afraid to cry together. Of all the people we could spend time with we are each other’s favorite people. Grace, forgiveness, and mercy are our treasures. And we hope and pray that five years, ten years, or how many years the Lord gives us will continue to grow in those attributes.

Thank you to all who have sown into our marriage with wisdom and friendship and love. Father, thank You for the gift of Bob and our daughter and all the dear people who are family—by blood and love. Thank You, Lord.

God bless and Shabbat Shalom!