This week, Teresa and I are celebrating our 45th anniversary. The celebration itself was a bit delayed (about five months!) due to time constraints, but we are now able to get away for a few days and enjoy one of our most favorite things: Universal Studios and Disneyworld.

For the years of our marriage, we have always enjoyed amusement parks. When we lived in Texas, we had season passes every year to Six Flags. Since moving back to Lancaster, SC, in 1998, we have had season passes to Carowinds almost every year. We now live and work at Carowinds! And, every chance we get, we visit the attractions in Florida.

Yes, there are those who think we are a little too old for roller coasters and other such attractions, but it is what we have always enjoyed doing, and will probably continue to do.

Having said that, though, I am also very much aware that we are on mission for our Lord Jesus Christ everywhere we go – even amusement parks. We are striving to be a witness for Him as we make our way through the rides and attractions. Wearing a pin that says “Celebrating Our 45th Anniversary” opens up quite a number of opportunities to share a message of God’s grace. It is amazing the number of people who will congratulate us, and then ask the secret to our long-term relationship. We usually don’t have time to go into a lengthy discussion, but we quickly tell those who ask that Jesus Christ is the secret to our successful marriage.

When conversing with Spiderman (and yes, this was the REAL Spidey!) he talked with us for several minutes before the photos were taken. We told him a little bit of our story, so he had us pose with the “heart” symbol to illustrate our love for one another. Even the amazing Spiderman himself was a bit amazed!

And, yes, I must admit that I am a bit amazed at how incredibly easy it is to be a witness for our Lord wherever we happen to be. I also must insert here the fact that it is usually Teresa who engages in conversation due to the fact that I’m not wearing my hearing aids for fear of losing them on some wild ride. But Teresa is doing an unbelievable job in sharing our story, and I nod in agreement with a smile on my face.

One thing that stands out from several of our conversations is the fact that so many are absolutely astounded that we have been married 45 years. I know that there are many who have been married much longer than this, but from our conversations it must certainly be a rarity. People we meet are truly amazed at the longevity of our relationship, and it gives us all the more incentive to share our “secret,” which is really no secret at all. And yet, it seems to be a well-kept secret from so many. Oh, how I wish others could experience His love and grace as we have for these past 45 years.

Today, our plan is to go back to Islands of Adventure and Universal Studios to enjoy more rides and attractions. It is my prayer that as we go we will continue to have opportunities to share of His amazing love and grace. Could I close with a simple word of encouragement for you to do the same? His story is so worth repeating.