A lifetime of Marriage

40 years ago today Raymond Elmore Eicher and Christa Roesli Fischer became Ray and Christa Eicher.

For the last 40 years Raymond Elmore Eicher and Christa Roesli Fischer have been becoming Ray and Christa Eicher.

Both of these statements are gloriously true - and we are the very grateful witnesses to this miracle of God's grace and faithfulness.

In scripture we see the number 40 representing a life span - a life time.

Stefan, Premila and I can testify that we have seen a life-time of love and faithfulness in Mum and Dad's lives. We have seen so many expressions of love and faithfulness to us as their children - and to the extended set of children that Mum and Dad have parented over the years - and still do. We have also seen the many many ways that Mum and Dad have poured themselves into others. Beyond the 'programmes and activities' that Mum and Dad have been involved with over their years of service to others - we have seen the way that God's love has been lived out to person after person, couple after couple, family after family.

Sheba and I have been watching over the last 8 years of our lives together - and we join our hands in thankfulness to God for giving us two sets of godly parents. Today we thank God especially for the example that Mum and Dad are to us - and pray that we may one day have the joy of celebrating 40 years of marriage (on Dec. 15th 2039!) with a rich legacy of love like we see in Mum and Dad's life together.

For this reason, a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.

Thank you, Mum and Dad, for living out the reality of this wonderful mystery - in our midst. We love you and are very, very proud of you.