That Old Chair
Tuesday, May 1, 2018 at 11:16AM 
That Old Chair
By: Donna Martin
“Mom, why don’t you get rid of that old rocking chair?” my oldest son suggested one day.
He had no idea of how much I treasure that old chair. Yes, it is fragile, scratched, and probably outdated, but it is one of my treasured items. Mike presented me with that chair on our very first wedding anniversary. He bought it brand new from an “unfinished” furniture store and spent days meticulously applying stain and varnish to the chair. When we moved into our first house the chair was gently place in the nursery. We both spent many hours rocking all three of our babies and later our grandbabies in that chair. That old chair will be somewhere in our house until I die. I can’t part with it even if it is old, scratched, and very outdated.
That rocking chair is like a good marriage. It has withstood the test of time. It has provided comfort in times of sickness, sleeplessness, and stress. It has become more valuable due to its nicks and scars. And the memories of special moments experienced in that chair have strengthened my bond with it.
The sweetness of marriage cannot be experienced if you exchange your spouse for a newer model. Don’t abandon your spouse like you would abandon an old piece of furniture, instead cherish and respect your spouse. Hold on and press through conflicts and differences and use them to grow closer instead of apart. As the old song say, “Hold on to what you’ve got, and don’t let go ‘cause you’ve got a lot. Got a lot of love between you so, hang on, hang on, hang on, to what you’ve got.
Like my old rocking chair, the sweetness of marriage develops through time, through trials, through making memories together. It grows sweeter as the wrinkles grow deeper and as you treasure each of the fleeting moments that God allows you to spend together.
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
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