By: Donna Martin
One of the first purchases that Mike and I made as a married couple was a pair of mugs. We found them on our honey moon. They were solid white with a big red heart stamped on each one along with the words written in blue, “Virginia is for Lovers.” You may be thinking Cheesy! But, hey, we were on our honeymoon, and we were so in love!!!
Our love for traveling began that summer and so did our tradition of purchasing a mug at every place we visited. Sounded like a great idea at the time, but 40 years later when we decided to downsize and move to an apartment there was no place to display the 100 plus mugs that we had collected throughout our journeys. Of course, none of our children wanted them, but the sentiment behind them was too great; we couldn’t part with them. So now they are sitting in boxes in our garage collecting dust.
Things are like that. Things pile up. Things take up closet space. Things collect dust. Things wear out and go out of style. Things get broken. Things get stolen. Things get lost. So why do we spend so much time and money worrying about and collecting things?
The scenes racing across the screens of our televisions showing the destruction of hurricane Harvey over the past few weeks have shown us how quickly our things can vanish. When the storm raged all around and the waters poured in to devour everything, what mattered most were the people, the relationships, the ones we loved. It didn’t matter if houses and everything in them were swept away as long as loved ones were safe.
We spend a lot of time and energy trying to make more money so we can buy more things - things that can be lost in a moment. We really didn’t need all those mugs. Our memories of happy times together would have been enough. Perhaps we should spend more time and energy making memories with the ones we love. Like our things, our loved ones can be lost in a moment too, but the memories we make together will last a lifetime. If someone you love is near, take a few minutes and go give that loved one a hug. Tell them how much you love them not just today, but every day.
Matthew 6:19-20
The Martins are available to present “Happy Together” Marriage Enrichment Events for churches and organizations. To schedule an event call Michael at 940-735-1515. They are certified “Prepare/Enrich” Facilitators and are available to work with couples on an individual basis using the “Prepare/Enrich Assessment.” They publish a weekly “Happy Together” Blog about family and marriage issues. You can order copies of their new books Dancing With Death and 366 Tidbits We Have Learned in 14,610 Days of Marriage, read, and subscribe to their “Happy Together” Blog by logging onto the Martin’s website at www.happytogethermarriages.com.