The Greatest of These...

From Behind The Counter
Perspectives on the Landscape of Life
By DJ Note

“But now faith, hope, love, abide these three; but the greatest of these is love.” 1 Corinthians 13:3

From behind the counter I listen with gratitude and open enthusiasm to stories of success and failure—tearful triumphs, faith-stretching trials—and the day-to-day routines of Evangel patrons.

Stories make up the fertile history of our lives. We laugh at them, cry over them, we learn to love through them, and pass along to our children and grandchildren the lessons they teach. Stories are the woven fabric of time that colors all that we are.

So indulge me while I relate a couple of pertinent Valentine tales.

The first began some 62 years ago. It was September 29, 1946 on a cotton plantation in Chicot County, Arkansas where two young people pledged their lives and love to one another in holy matrimony.

So what, you say? Weddings happen everyday. Ah! Weddings—yes—but what of marriages? Permit me to continue.

Some sixty years later while on vacation, Norman and Eva Roberts revisited the old plantation where they were wed to see if the old house had weathered time and was still standing. What they came upon was a crew of workers diligent to finish a restoration project six years and six million dollars in the making.

When the project manager realized the relationship Norm and Eva had with the old place—Eva’s father sharecropped on the plantation, while Norm’s dad owned, worked cotton, and grew pecans on the forty acres adjacent to it, and their marriage in the parlor of the old home—plans were set in motion for Norm and Eva to participate in the grand opening festivities the following year.

The Lakeport Plantation House has a rich history worth sharing, but what is richer by far is the life commitment these two ordinary people pledged that day to one another.

Like all married couples, Norm and Eva had their share of troubles, but they held to the promise they made to see each other through the good times and the bad, for richer or poorer. It was a promise each would keep.

Now go with me to another parlor in the middle of the country. The date is February 20, 1941. Another family is gathered near a large bay window in a comfortable home in Chase, Kansas. Stan and Louise Revel have pledged their lives in holy matrimony till death do they part. They, too, will face their own set of sorrows, difficulties and trials. Sometimes the joys and triumphs will be few and far between as they raise their family of five. And there will be times when they wonder if they’ll ever make it. But they do.

The point is: these now elderly couples made a conscience choice to honor their commitments. They realized the vow they pledged was bigger than their occasional need to bail. They weathered their storms, side by side, and refused to quit when times got tough.

Have you ever watched a team of horses plow a field or haul a heavy load from one destination to another? They’re a team because they work in tandem. Harnessed together they’re driven by one set of sturdy leather reins held by one pair of capable hands. They must develop a cooperative spirit, deliberately pulling their share without balking or complaining while under the strain of it all.

Until they learn, it’s not unusual for one to lunge forward prematurely, catching his teammate off guard, only to bear the entire weight of the burden unnecessarily. The pull must be aborted so as not to lose the entire load. The team is halted and “collected” before they can begin again.

But watch after the years have “seasoned” them. Their stops and starts are smooth, and their stride takes on the peace of one consistent motion. They have learned their burden is more easily managed when they pull in cooperation with one another. It’s a wedded sight to behold.

Norm and Eva, and Stan and Louise, are typical everyday couples. What makes them different is that they are among a dwindling number who have kept their resolve to cherish the “I do.” It’s a love commitment hard to find in these days of I-need-to-do-my-own-thing attitudes.

Contrary to the world’s thinking God desires us to learn true forgiveness and selfless cooperation. He wants us to offer to others the hope-filled power that committed love provides. The God of the universe is fully committed to those whom He loves and those who love Him. And He proved it on a cross.

Why not allow God’s capable hands to hold the reins of your life? And if you’re blessed to be half of a team, don’t quit, lean into that harness. Keep that promise to your spouse and to God. Be the best you can be. Pull together to the end. His rewards are boundless. And He’s promised to meet you there!

DJ Note writes from Eagle Point, Oregon.