Today is my anniversary.  When my husband and I first married, we had each other and not much else. We lived in a less than desirable single-wide mobile home that wasn’t even ours (It was the parsonage.) with second-hand furniture that was hideous. It didn’t matter; we were young and in love.  Through the years, though, we have amassed quite a few treasures (you can tell by the ever increasing size of the U-haul each time we move).  Baby teeth, trimmings from first haircuts, bursting photo albums, bookcases brimming with such items as Bible helps, Max Lucado, and Dr. Seuss, all the paraphernalia that goes with having three children, and tons of happy memories flood our home and our lives.  Oh, yes, and we still have each other. What more could we want when we truly have all we need?

OK.  The truth is, sometimes I do want more.  Sometimes the “Discontents” invade my thoughts causing desire for that which I do not have.  I wish I had more closet space, more books, more clothes, and a strand of pearls.  “A strand of pearls?” you ask. Yes, a strand of pearls. I’ve never been big on jewelry, but for some reason I’ve often wished for a strand of pearls that could be added to yearly.  I want a pearl for each year Raymond and I have been married; today would make twenty-one.

Pearls are the perfect symbol of a good marriage.  Just as an oyster turns life’s irritations (a grain of sand) into a beautiful pearl, so a man and wife should coat their frustrations with love, allowing them to grow into a beautiful, caring relationship. A pearl is a “Redeemed Irritation”, so to speak.  That’s what good marriages are made of.

I’ve all but given up on the pearl necklace.  Not that I wouldn’t like it, but after twenty-one years of marriage I have a better handle on what’s truly important.  And I’ve come to realize that my dear husband has given me “pearls” of much greater value.  He’s given me:

1.      Acceptance

2.      Affirmation

3.      Attention

4.      Care

5.      Comfort

6.      Counsel

7.      Courtesy

8.      Devotion

9.      Encouragement

10.  Faithfulness

11.  Friendship

12.  Help

13.  Himself

14.  His Tootsie Rolls and Hershey Kisses

15.  Honesty

16.  Leadership

17.  Love

18.  Praise

19.  Protection

20.  Respect

21.  Security

22.  Strength

23.  Support

24.  Tenderness

25.  Three wonderful children

26.  Time alone when I need it

27.  Trust

28.  Understanding

29.  Wisdom