The Promise Forty Four Years In The Keeping.5

"My doctrine is not my own, but his who has sent me. If you choose to do my Father's will, you will quickly discover whether or not my teaching comes from God."

-Jesus

To Do God's Will

It was a wintry January night sitting together in my car discussing the most important decision of our young lives. I'd been contemplating the future and come to an important place in my life: the only thing I really wanted to do in this life was whatever God wanted me to do. As I sat with the beautiful woman at my side I explained the promise I'd made to God to do whatever or go wherever He said. I told her that I really wanted her to go with me but warned her that God's will may take us to unusual and perhaps difficult places. I didn't tell her that:

• we'd move far away from her family
• she'd leave her beloved horses on the family farm for fifteen years
• we'd raise eight sons
• our adventures would allow us to meet many wonderful people...and some not so wonderful.
• we'd be challenged financially at times
• we'd home school those boys for many years
• we'd move into and out of many houses over those many years
• we'd be challenged by our parents on decisions we'd make
• there would be heartache and headache in abundance
• and joy

Honestly, I think she would have stopped me at the "eight sons" part!

But, of course, I didn't know all those things as a young man. But I knew the One who did...and, apparently, that was enough for her!

She said yes!

This October we will be celebrating our 44th anniversary of promising to be true and faithful to each other! 

Early on in our marriage she actually lost her wedding ring. I've never replaced it until now; I recently purchased a ring like the one pictured with eight diamonds representing the "fruit" of our love. 

Most wedding ceremonies describe the ring as a "token" of a love that is perfect and eternal.

But it isn't a "token" that makes a marriage successful. It is the promise.

• We, together, promised to love and serve God. 
• We promised each other our love and respect. 
• We promised to provide for, protect, direct and discipline the children God gave us. 
• We promised to be salt and light to a love-starved world. 
• We promised to go where He led us, serve who needed us, share what we had, teach what we learned, and be His hands, feet, ears, eyes and mouth.

The promise, the commitment of our wills, is what has shaped our lives these 44 years. You cannot think of Denise Lyon (affectionately known to us as the "Fun Grandma") without marveling at the wonder of her energy, the intensity of her work, her devotion to her kids, love of friends and family, horses of course, and her excellent spirit. 

All things that her promise opened up and developed in her!

For George MacDonald God's will is the essence of eternal life:

"For the will is the deepest, the strongest, the divinest thing in man; so, I presume, is it in God, for such we find it in Jesus Christ. ...by the obedience of a son, he receives into himself the very life of the Father. Obedience is the joining of the links of the eternal round. Obedience is but the other side of the creative will.  

Will is God's will,   

obedience is man's will;  

the two make one!

If we do the will of God, eternal life is ours...within His reach to fill with the abundant and endless out-goings of His love. Our souls shall be vessels ever growing and ever, as they grow, filled with the more and more life proceeding from the Father and the Son.

What the delight of the being, what the abundance of the life he came that we might have, we can never know until we have it!"

The promises that have shaped us over forty four years are just a taste of the glory waiting to be revealed when our eternal Promise Keeper makes all things new!