I know it’s a bit of a departure of my usual Sabbath Rest song, but since today is both the Sabbath and our fifty-second wedding anniversary, it seemed only right to share this song (again) and reprise a blog post (with some adaptations)from a couple of years ago –

Fifty-two years ago, on a warm Friday evening, these two youngsters committed their lives and their love to each other. My brother-in-law, Fitz, gave us a ‘charge –
Gary & Stephanie, tonight is the beginning of a new way of life for both of you. Long awaited. No longer two separate individuals, but one family in Christ.

At 19 and 21 respectively, we thought we knew what marriage was all about.  Ah, sweet innocent youth! Little did we know what we were in for! I’m not going to kid you – not every moment of the last 52 years was easy. Or fun.  Some of it was downright hard. We raised three children, renovated a 100+ year old house and owned a small service business (part American dream and part  American nightmare.) But through all the years, through the good and the bad, the joy and the hard, the beauty and the ashes, God kept us together.  He never gave up on us, and we never gave up on each other.  Grace. His amazing grace is what has held us together these many years. And our prayer continues to be that His Grace will hold us fast in the years ahead!
Happy 50th52nd to my beloved!

This might be our theme song –

And we went dancing in the minefields [And there were OH-SO-MANY!]
We went sailing in the storms [Some doozies to be sure!]
And it was harder than we dreamed [Amen!]
But I believe that’s what the promise is for {Praise God!]

Dancing in the Minefields (by Andrew Peterson)

Well, I was nineteen, you were twenty-one
The year we got engaged
And everyone said we were much too young
But we did it anyway

We got the rings for forty each
From a pawn shop down the road
We said our vows and took the leap
Now fifteen fifty-two years ago

And we went dancing in the minefields
We went sailing in the storms
And it was harder than we dreamed
But I believe that’s what the promise is for

Well “I do” are the two most famous last words
The beginning of the end
But to lose your life for another, I’ve heard
Is a good place to begin

‘Cause the only way to find your life
Is to lay your own life down
And I believe it’s an easy price
For the life that we have found

And we’re dancing in the minefields
We’re sailing in the storms
This is harder than we dreamed
But I believe that’s what the promise is for
That’s what the promise is for

So when I lose my way, find me
When I lose love’s chains, bind me
At the end of all my faith, till the end of all my days
When I forget my name, remind me

‘Cause we bear the light of the Son of Man
So there’s nothing left to fear
So I’ll walk with you in the shadowlands
Till the shadows disappear

‘Cause he promised not to leave us
And his promises are true
So in the face of all this chaos
Baby, I can dance with you

So let’s go dancing in the minefields
Let’s go sailing in the storms
Oh, let’s go dancing in the minefields
And kicking down the doors

Oh, let’s go dancing in the minefields
And sailing in the storms
Oh, this is harder than we dreamed
But I believe that’s what the promise is for
That’s what the promise is for

Music video by Andrew Peterson performing Dancing In The Minefields (Official Music Video).