A Kernel Of Truth And Wisdom

Just as I was about to blog about whatever advice the Father had given me for you both today, I opened the front cover to a wedding scrapbook I made back in 1987. Glued on the inside cover is a brown envelope with a letter inside. The letter was written Oct. 16, 1987 by Jadoosh, your Grandpa Anthony Walter Zimanek, Jr, to your Daddy and I on our wedding day. Rather than sum up the letter for you here, I am going to transcribe it as is. What he wrote nearly 27+ years ago, still works today. Thought you might want to hear it yourselves:

Dear Brad and Jill,

         It is a custom in our family, that some one attempt to share some insight into marriage when a couple is entering Holy Matrimony. (Your great-grandfather Antone Grygiel was known far and wide in N.E. Wisc and even people that didn't know him personally, requested that he talk to the young couple.) Only pray that you are able to catch a kernel of truth & wisdom here & there from this letter.

         First of all know with your hearts and souls that you are loved by your parents as well as many others, but most of all Christ loves you. He is always there and will help & bless you if you call about Him. He may not answer your prayers exactly the way you want them, but he does hear you. Pray every day and keep Him a part of your lives. Its so easy with our materialistic & busy world to neglect honoring & confiding in Him and His Blessed Mother.

         You are both Christians and you were taught marriage is sacred, so commit faithfully to one another that his is the person who I'll share my life with, for better or worse, until death will we part. After the first blush of wedded life, I promise you there will be arguments, disagreements, bad times, good times, sorrow, joy, hurt & all the things of life. The thing that must overshadow everything is love & I don't mean it only sexually. Talk out your problems in love, pray together & be a real team. The one biggest & hardest thing I believe to overcome is selfishness. You must wrestle with it always. But someday, if you really work at it, you'll realize your partner is of the same flesh & spirit & if I may quote Ephesians "He who loves his own wife (& each other) loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, on the contrary, he nourishes & cherishes it as Christ also does the church, because we are all members of his body made from his flesh & bones. For this cause, a man shall leave his father and mother & cleave to his wife & the two shall become one flesh."

         Also make up your minds that whatever your circumstances, whether rich or poor, you will do your best in that station of life. If poor, so bit it, God loves the poor more than the rich. Just make the best of it & comfort one another always.

         If you are blessed with children, raise them Christian. And if you do one thing for them, make sure you outwardly & physically show affection for yourselves in their presence. Obviously, hug them a lot & make sure they know you love them & they count. Children will test your endurance, your patience & your being, but we have accepted them as a part of our Christian lives & we will be held accountable before God, I am sure.

         You will be in our thoughts & hearts until we pass on, & in our souls always. We love you, we wish you the very best, but most of all we wish you love & remember always we really have 1 objective on earth & that is to pass the test & save our souls. Do it together & help each other.

         May Christ be with you always! Yo truly are 2 very handsome, intelligent,special, loving people.

                                                                      Love always,

                                                                      Anthony & Barbara Zimanek 
                                                                      (We hope both your Mom & Dad)

P.S. Trust each other too & do not be a jealous worrier. Remember you married each other & no one else in the whole world.

I think that says it all.

Discussion: What of the above letter touches you the most? What is something you specifically need to work on that he writes about?

Prayer: For generations this Zimanek family has passed on marital advice to young couples in love. We thank You for being the foundation of that advice and that it never changes. You are the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. May we heed all You say. In Jesus, Amen.