photo © 2008 Carolyn | more info (via: Wylio)Day One
The main characters of Revealing Fire, Pearl and Hubert, are older than the usual hero and heroine. They appear in my first book, Leave Me Never, as minor characters, and I fell in love with them during the writing of that book. I knew I had to give them their own story. The fact that they were both in their mid-fifties made them special to me. Over the years, I have had the privilege of seeing more than one "older" couple fall in love and marry. Who says love is only for young folks?
Pearl and Hubert both have more silver in their hair than dark strands. I like to pull back the curtain of time and see what experiences have tempered and shaped the heart and soul of a person who has lived for more than four or five decades. A fifty year relationship with God deepens that person's character, and carves lines of laughter and sorrow into their face. They have learned through their mistakes, and if they allow God to use them, they can become mentors for a younger generation. These are the kinds of characters I wanted to write about in Revealing Fire.
I turned the sixtieth page in my own life last year, and since I have walked through some dark valleys as well as some mountaintops, I called on some of those experiences and gave them to my characters with a different twist or two. I found that hard times and sorrow don't have to destroy your ability to love. On the contrary, as a craftsman refines and purifies silver by carefully putting it through the fire and precisely gauging its purity during this process, so God refines us over the years. Passage of time enhances one's capacity to love rather than decaying it.
My husband and I have been married or almost thirty-eight years. Once in a while, when I least expect it and for no apparent reason, he brings me a rose. Such a trivial thing, some might say. But it's not trivial to me. That rose tells me he's thinking about me, he cherishes me, I'm important to him, we share something deeply grounded and intertwined together. We can communicate as much through a look as with words. He still makes me heart flutter. We still hold hands. His smile is the one that matters to me.
Do you know an older couple who are in love? What can you learn from them and apply to your own life and relationships?
My parents have been married for 44 years. They've had their ups and downs, hard times and good, and through it all, their love has stayed strong. They both love Jesus, and they're such good friends. They've been a great example to their children and grandchildren.
ReplyDeleteMy husband's parents were married for 49 years before cancer took his mother.
What a sweet post, Connie. ~ When my precious Mama went to Heaven, she and Daddy were about to celebrate 64 years of marriage. I have a sweet memory (and picture) of Mama giving Daddy a kiss when he visited her in the nursing home. They set a wonderful example of having a loving, stable Christian home. ~ Blessings, Patti Jo
ReplyDeleteLove this post, Connie!! I am about to read Leave me Never....so this post makes me really anxious to read your new book! Young married couples today surely need (more than ever) examples of loving marriages (with God in them), and I am glad you decided to write this one!
ReplyDeleteConnie,
ReplyDeleteI have an old quite that's about 60 years old that my great grandmother made. My mom has pointed out certain fabrics in it and told me those were made from her old dresses. The quilt it special to me, even though I never met the woman who made it.