Convention 2008, Ontario, California...
My reason for joining the Encounter Movement was re-enforced and expanded:when husbands and wives choose to put their love for each other daily and visibly as first priority, their families, friends, and associates benefit immeasureably. We see that loving another person unconditionally is the greatest gift life has to offer.
An eighty-two year old friend of mine, now a widow, often tells me that she loved her husband very, very much. At the same time they went through some very hard times... he was a loyal, quiet man, who provided well for her and their children. At the same time he kept so much of himself... his feelings and hopes inside of himself.
I tease her often, saying wouldn't it be great to have some one you really cared about to while away the cold, evening nights. "Once was enough," she often responds, "I'm enjoying my independence now.
There were tough times they moved through in their relationship... hurt feelings, disappointments... when they distanced themselves from each other-- often masking their pain in either cutting remarks or silence.
I celebrate the determination and loyalty that led them to choose to stay together... cutting remarks and silence have frequently led me to turn away from people whom I had chosen as friends. (And I have turned a number of folks off because my loose lips have led to the end of a number of wonderful relationships.
Marriage Encounter offers ways that couples can work through their hurts and fears and get to know and love each other even more. I have listened to many stories and seen wonderful moments:
A mature couple publicly sharing their closeness---
Couples delighting in dancing together--
Let me end with this video of the couples dancing, during one of the breaks, at the convention: LOVE IS BEAUTIFUL, ISN'T IT?
9 comments:
I hope all that dancing was going on with some air-conditioning! Sounds like you had a wonderful trip Joseph...welcome home!
Lorraine: the temperature in the dining room was so cold that I joined a number of folks, at lunch time, outside... There the conversation was gracious, enlightening, and at times, funny.
In the assembly room, where the worship experiences, presentations, and discussion in twos or three took place was comfortable...
I learned a lot and met some wonderful people...
Welcome home, Joseph! Personally, I have a love/hate relationship with airconditioning. I hate hot weather, but hate the cranked up airconditioning. I spent my time in AZ last summer trying to hit a happy medium. I think I'm most comfortable right here in the NW.
The sunshine in Ontario reminded me of many wonderful days I spent in Bekeley/Oakland in the seventies... I can't handle that anymore...
The Northwest... here, at Orton, the cold winds whipping across the hill in the early morning keeps me shivering; the hot sun during the day saunas me out...
I am grateful to have a roof over my head and a bed to sleep in
BUT...
The Coast Starlighter is supposed to be a nice ride, Joseph. At least you were not confined to a plane with a hysterical comic wannabe. :-)
Make that a swooning, hysterical comic wannabe.
The lady was fascinating... she was carrying a lot of luggage... was going to visit her grandchildren after attending a national teachers' conference back east, a recent divorcee (I wish her poor husband had chosen to be assertive... listening, challenging, supporting... at the same time, whatever was going with her would have led me, after a very short time, to run away... but then, who knows what form of dementia might have been starting to form), and she was very, very bright and eloquent...
Like so many of us--- caring, brilliant, aging, alone
Sometimes loneliness can cause a person to rattle on at a great rate when they have an audience. You were very good to have assisted this lady.
Thank you, Stephanie... she taught me a lot about being a human being who believed enough in our ability to help each other where I chose to just stand there, listen, and respond sincerely
Isn't it great being present and just quietly attentive to others
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