You know when you’re at a wedding reception and the DJ asks married couples to get up and do an anniversary dance?
As you dance, the DJ announces anyone who is married less than five hours, please leave the dance floor. The dance continues and the DJ announces throughout the dance that anyone married under one year, five years, ten years, twenty, thirty, forty, fifty years leave the dance floor.
My husband and I were at a wedding reception about five years ago and we participated in this dance. When the DJ announced “40 years”, my husband refused to leave the dance floor, even though we were not married 40 years, because he felt that the dance was rigged. If you know my husband, you would know that he is very competitive, and he loves to see people’s reactions to his behavior.
The DJ went on to announce, “forty -five years, fifty years” and my husband still refused to leave the dance floor. I was completely embarrassed. All our friends and family members were amused because when they announced the winner, it was a couple that had been married sixty years. They were the bride’s grandparents, and everyone applauded the fact that they were married for sixty years.
Whenever we attend a wedding reception now, I refuse to dance the anniversary dance with my husband because I know that he will not leave the dance floor unless he wins the competition of being married the longest.
It doesn’t seem possible, but we’ve been married 40 years now. We’ve had 7 children, one miscarriage, 22 grandchildren, illnesses, surgeries, jobs, multiple moves to new apartments or homes, family vacations, business trips, parties (lots of them), graduations, weddings, funerals and many memories that could fill many photo albums. We have been through many great times as well as difficult times, but God’s grace and love has gotten us through them all.
On the morning of our 40th anniversary, I asked my husband if he would be willing to take time out every morning and evening to pray with me. As he looked at me with a puzzled look, I told him that I know that he prays for me daily just as I do for him, but I really wanted to be able to hold his hands see his face, and hear his voice as we speak from our hearts to God together. It meant so much to me that he agreed to do it. Sometimes we hold one another and pray and other times we are on the phone and pray because one of us is not home and we still want to continue praying together.
Praying together creates a depth in our relationship. We hear what is on one another’s heart. We hear what our concerns are and what future dreams we are planning to pursue. It also humbles us and keeps us from being judgmental of one another. Praying together allows us to see what God has provided for us and how He has answered our prayers. I have encouraged many couples to start praying together because I know what it has done for our marriage.
God willing, I look forward to the day where we will be at a wedding reception and we will be able to be the last couple remaining on the dance floor during the Anniversary dance. I just know that my husband will proudly look at me and say, “I knew we would win.”
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