40 year trib.avi

40 Years and Counting...

Once upon a time a tall, spirited, piano-preachin' girl from the farms of Indiana found herself involved in mission work. Another just as lovely and young, bang-em-up, overall's-wearin', bet-you-can't-ride-a-big-bike-and-win-20-bucks, Fletcher girl found herself partnering with Erma in a lifelong journey that would endure through the decades. A Miss Erma Augsburger and a Miss Jean Zirkle invested themselves in the ministry spending their tears on church reform in a small American baptist church. Of course their friendship, like nearly all friendships, involved familial ties - especially important for their nephew and niece. Erma's brother, the ornery, even-taller, mam-you-dropped-your broach-you-should-pick that-up, Ivan Edison married a much older Wheaton-grad, Grace Maxine (not my sister, obviously). They went off to the Dominican Republic fulfilling a call to the ministry, and when their daughter was of age, she was sent to Erma and Jean in Indiana. Jean's beautiful, touch-my-boys-and I-will-beat-you-with-a-bat, sister Betty May married a hardworking, handsome chap - locally grown in western Ohio, Ernest Junior. On occasion the family tree would mingle and naturally Erma's brother's little Blondie, Maxine, crashed into Betty and Junior's fair, conscientious, dimpled boy, Keith Ray...

To many details to recite them all. A kind of home grown affection budded into bloom out of a life long friendship. I can think of two stories in particular that seem characteristic of that journey and this romantic tale. Though I don't know Kieth Ray Hague, my father came down with Mono-nucleosis. I was told Maxine read him stories and babied him back to health, perhaps because she felt like she may have caused it. How ever this is connected to their dramatic engagement seems to follow in line with natural sequences.

Now, the story my sister would tell you about their engagement is perhaps a bit more cynical than mine. I think their engagement is characteristic of their marriage. It tells you something very authentic about my parents. I suppose Grace would say Dad's cheeky “If you can put up with me” proposal on highway 75 was romantic-less and lame. I would argue that it emerged out of a passionate and rooted and affectionate love for the one person in all the world for whom he cared the most. Consequently, he had to take care of the deed in the most honest of ways... true to life... in rhythm with the real... the flavor of the “this is how it is. I love you and I will always love you. I don't need to get in a cannon and show off, walk down no stupid park lane or throw up some fanciful masquerade. This is me wishin' that you would stand by me through thick and thin till death do us part.” Though Dad would probably not say it like that, he had under his breath actions that better exemplify this kind of sentiment than do my words...I would argue 40 years later hindsight is 20/20...

If the signature of that affection is not authenticated by my father's hours in the driveway on yet another part that fell off the car, his willingness to brake his back to bear the load of a budget that is running on God's provision, or my mother's hours, in the back-room fighting the eternal hamper of good clothes ruined by bad children, spending herself thin trying as she might to be involved with their kids education and pay the balance for those same bills that seem to keep on coming, I don't know what does... Though these days, I wish Dad would sleep less for moms sake and I wish mom would stress-out less for his, I understand now better than I have ever before what commitment ought to look like. Their example is good. In a world where divorce has become the norm, my parents have raged against the machine, the machine of "if its not working, get a new one" and the machine of "get what's yours, you deserve better." With a keen awareness of their need for Christ and each other, they have vowed to preserve that union that God has consecrated unto Himself for their good and his Glory.

The most enduring grace that marks my parents and for which I am most grateful is their own sensitivity to their sin and their love for the Gospel. That is Jesus Christ's coming to die for our sins to propriate God's wrath, his resurrection to champion death securing eternal provisions. This informed the way they tried to love each other and the way they raised my brothers, sister and me. Mom's “Do your best for Jesus sake” prompted us to rehearse the Gospel to ourselves that we might act differently. I suppose we did but not without big falls along the way.

Its rare to find people who are so quick to admit their wrongs, so honest about their shortcomings, and so accepting and charitable as a result. If Mom isn't signing bout God's perfections to her grand kids, she is off preachin' to the dog... If Dad isn't trying to fix the American political wreck, he is entertaining the funny lookin' people we bring home with his famous jokes. The church is needy for more people like this. After 40 years a banner has been raised, stones gathered together as a memorial, an Ebenezer has been lifted into place memorializing a theme etched forever into my sister's and brothers' ears “

This is the day the Lord has made we will be glad and rejoice in it.

Glad songs of salvation are in the tents of the righteous: "The right hand of the LORD does valiantly,

the right hand of the LORD exalts, the right hand of the LORD does valiantly!"

I shall not die, but I shall live, and recount the deeds of the LORD.

The LORD has disciplined me severely, but he has not given me over to death.

Open to me the gates of righteousness, that I may enter through them and give thanks to the LORD.

This is the gate of the LORD; the righteous shall enter through it.

I thank you that you have answered me and have become my salvation.

The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.

This is the LORD's doing; it is marvelous in our eyes.

This is the day the Lord has made we will be glad and rejoice in it.

I am very sorry I am not in there in person...

I love you very much Mom and Dad...

Happy Fortieth Anniversary