55 and Counting

“It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord” (Lam. 3:26, KJV).

My husband and I have experienced this biblical truth.

“I Will Wait”

In June 1959, I joined the Civil Service in Guyana and was assigned to the Georgetown Magistrates Court. On the day of my debut, I was introduced to the staff, among whom was a dapper-looking gentleman named Henry Eastman.

Over time, we chatted regularly as colleagues. Sweets, chocolates, etc., secretly appeared in my desk drawer until I discovered that he was the benevolent one.

One day he gave me an envelope. In it was a letter expressing his love for me. I told him that I could not reciprocate his sentiments because I was already in a relationship. He immediately responded in a quiet but firm tone: “I will wait.”

We had no further discussion on the matter, but somehow I kept pondering his words. I mused to myself, If you want to waste your time, you can wait; who is this man that he would wait for me? How long would he wait? What makes him so sure that his wait won’t be in vain?

Providentially, his wait did end. And it was not in vain. On June 11, 1966, we came together in marriage. To date, 55 years of wedded bliss. We’ve had our challenges, but we’ve never allowed them to escalate.

Communication Challenge

In our early years of marriage, the adjustment period, there was a communication problem. Its importance was taken lightly. But communication within the family is extremely important because it enables members to express their needs, wants, and concerns to each other. Open and honest communication creates an atmosphere that allows expression of differences, love, and admiration for each other.

Surrendering ourselves to the Lord and by His grace, we were enabled to overcome that problem. We learned two profound lessons: (1) Listen to each other with mindfulness. (2) What we say and our body language must be in unison.

Our key is holding onto Jesus, because with Him we are more than conquerors. Waiting indeed pays rich dividends, particularly when we wait on the Lord.