The following passage from Ecclesiastes
4:9-12 was chosen by my husband and I some 32 years ago to represent
how we felt about our life together. My husband designed the cover
for our wedding program featuring a cross and the three strands of
rope representing our eternal bond with each other and God.
"Two are better than one
because they have a good return for their labor. For if either of
them falls, the one will lift up his companion. But woe to the one
who falls when there is not another to lift him up. Furthermore, if
two lie down together they keep warm, but how can one be warm alone?
And if one can overpower him who is alone, two can resist him. A
cord of three strands is not quickly torn apart."
As I made my usual late night trek back
from the horse barn, crunching in the snow and slip sliding around, I
was reminded of many scenes of two romping through the prairie snow,
slipping and sliding, falling, and tumbling, I thought of this
passage and the importance of lifting one another up. We all slip
and slide around, sometimes falling on our faces. But, what if we
fall and there is no one to pick us up, to bandage our wounds, to
carry us inside to the warmth of a fire? What if?
"The steps of a man are
established by the Lord; And He delights in his way. When he falls,
he shall not be hurled headlong; because the Lord is the One who
holds his hand." Ps. 37:23, 24
For, it is better that we go through
life with a companion—someone to lift us up when we fall, someone
to work alongside us in faith, someone to keep us warm, and someone
to strengthen us, someone to encourage and love us. Two are better
than one because they have a good return for their labor.
I'm reminded of the following quote
from the movie Shall We Dance:
While I don't agree with minimizing the value of one life, this quote does convey the importance of caring for another individual and the importance of keeping a promise to another human being—being faithful and being there through the good times as well as the bad – every day, all the time, even when it hurts.
What if we have no one to lift us up?
God designed us to share life together—to be there for another. We
need one another's love and care so desperately, especially in this
mixed-up and crazy world. Don't let another day go by without being
there for someone, without opening yourself up to the possibility of
companionship—mutual respect, honor and love. And, be an example
of respect and honor to someone whom God has brought into your life.
Be the heart.
