Jan and I are in our 50^th year of marriage. The Lord has been merciful to us because, like any marriage, we’ve had moments of failure, doubt, and unbelief. In the middle of all of that, Jan and I are a living example of what the Lord can do with two failing people. His love and our commitment to Him create a deeper expression of oneness. 

The length of our relationship has taught us many things. The most important lesson we have learned is the value of our friendship. We started our relationship as two kids in bible college taking long walks together and getting to know each other. At the time, we knew little about life, especially how to be married. Now, as our bodies have aged and our temperaments have been adjusted by the Lord over the last 50 years, our friendship has become the abiding source of strength in our relationship.

Jesus spoke about friendship, “I no longer call you slaves because a master doesn’t confide in his slaves. Now you are my friends, since I have told you everything the Father told me. You didn’t choose me. I chose you. I appointed you to go and produce lasting fruit”(John 15: 15-16). 

What the Lord said about producing “lasting fruit” is what can be produced in a marriage when two people are living as friends of God. Over time, lasting fruit will appear on the limbs of our faith in ways not realized when a relationship first began.

A friendship with God removes fear from a marriage when change is happening in very visible ways and some aspects of our youth must be left behind to prepare us to move forward into what God has planned for our future.

Our friendship with God and with each other has brought us thus far and it will faithfully take us to the end of our days. As a result of our friendship with the Lord and with each other, a deepening joy is present in the Elkins home like it is when good friends gather over dinner and share life together.