Poignant statement: Romance does not die in old age, it matures to great beauty

Subject:  Loving in late autumn of life

Scripture: Ephesians 5:25

I am now in England for three weeks. When I arrived here, I had just gone out for my long walk and when I came back I saw one of the most beautiful sights. I saw an old man in his eighties and with him was his wife. What wonderstruck me was that the old lady was on a wheelchair and the man was pushing the wheel chair. I looked at the face of the man and I did not see bitterness or burden but a serene face full of divine contentment. Obviously they were husband and wife for probably more that 50 years and dearly loved each other. Then my mind went to my wife of 34 years married life and wondered about our marriage. Today we are healthy and it is so easy to say we love each other but will my love still flourish in the last years or months of our lives. I pray to God that He would give me strength to love my wife in the same way as the English gentleman.

Today we have so distorted and falsely romanticized love. It is to do with most of the time unmarried couple who are young and full of energy and exuberance. Today the media in one way or the way distorts true and endurable love and as Christian we must be aware of this assault on true love. Particularly we need to show positive and permanence of love no matter how young or old we are. I believe true test of love is not in our youth but in the autumn and winter of our lives.

In my ministry and travel,  I meet many couple of all ages and at times get very close to observe the lives of couples. In a very short time I am able to figure out most of the time what sort of relationship they have between them. To be frank even within the Christian Church I see many unhappy and bitter couples.

The Bible says we must love our wives just as Christ loved His church and gave Himself for us. The Lord showed His uttermost love for His church by sacrificing life on the cross and we are challenged to love to that extent. It is really impossible but we can aim to love as much as we can by the grace, power and example of the Lord Jesus.

I believe that many times in our lives we lose romance of love between couple because we are old and have married for a very long time. But then if we pray together, talk and listen to each other and work to make our marriage better as the years go by then there is no reason why we cannot develop love to cherish. No relationship is enriched by itself and all need hard and intentional endeavor on our part each day.

Let me end this devotion with some words of my dear friend who lost his wife. When I met him in Kathmandu, he told me that each month he goes to her graveyard to make sure that her grave is in proper order. He makes sure that the grave is clean and the flower plants have not dried up. Oh! What a touching way of loving the lady whom he loved for over 35 years. I was watching him when he told me this and I could see tears welling up in his eyes. What love and what enduring romance!

Are you married for a long time and find that now the light of romance is flickering or gone out completely? Rekindle or bring back to life the romance in your life. You will need romantic love now than ever before.

May be it is a good idea to go to your husband or wife and just say how much you love and perhaps even give  a flower or something simple to express your love. Always remember that romance is for ever between truly loving couple. As a Christian we know that we are not adequate to love our spouse as we ought. So, we ask God to fill our hearts to love one another. This kind of love is not only mutual but such love flows out to our immediate family and those who come in contact with us. When couples love each other then the love is shared among the members of the family and all the people they come in contact with.

Many times our devotional and spiritual life is hampered because we do not have vibrant married love life particularly in our old age. You just have to look around and observe and you will know what I mean. This causes problems in our daily spiritual walk with God and if we are ministers then the situation gets worse. So, when you come to God for prayer and reading of God’s Word how about checking the barometer of your love for you spouse and if there is deficiency then it is important that you recognize and make things right.

May we be truly romantic when our eyes grow weak, when arthritic cause unbearable pain in our bones, when we live on tablets of assortments, when the dear family is far and scattered and when we begin to hear the voice of death very close to us. Just be together, cuddle and keep saying something silly in each other’s ears. Let the fire of romance glow brighter and fiercer. Have fun and enjoy the relationship to the fullest.

Poignant statement: Romance does not die in old age, it matures to great beauty

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