USGN Article  - February 2004
Terry & Barbi Franklin
Written by Barbi Franklin

True Love!

Recently, Terry and I heard a true story of an old man and his wife that was very touching.  The old man had an appointment to see the doctor early one morning, but he was in a big hurry.  He was there to have stitches taken out of his thumb.

When the nurse took his name in the waiting room, he said, “Could you please take me soon, I have a breakfast appointment with my wife at 9:00 AM!”  The nurse said, “Well sir, we’ll try, there are quite a few people ahead of you to see the doctor, and he’s running a bit behind.” 

After a little while the nurse could see the old man fidgeting and decided to take a look at his stitches.  She thought she might be able to take them out herself so he wouldn’t be so late for this rendezvous with his sweetheart.  Sure enough, it had healed well, so she began to do the job herself.

As she was redressing the healing wound, the old man’s eyes became teary as he distantly mumbled, “My wife lives in the nursing home, but I have breakfast with her every morning!”  Moved by this husband’s obvious adoration, she said, “Will your wife be worried since you’re a little bit late?”  He replied, “Oh, no ma’am.  She has Alzheimer’s Disease.  She hasn’t recognized me in five years!”

Overwhelmed at the thought of this kind of love and faithfulness, the nurse asked, “You mean you still see her every morning even though she doesn’t know who you are?”  And he simply replied, “She may not know who I am, ma’am, but I still know who she is!”

What a perfect picture of true love!  It’s amazing to think that God had this same kind of love for us.  Jesus died for us, even when we didn’t know who he was!  He selflessly, faithfully, and unconditionally loved us unto death, even “while we were yet sinners.”

Oh, Lord God, please strengthen us to be like this old man!  Fill us and empower us by your Holy Spirit to love our husbands and wives with your faithful and unconditional love so that our lives will be a living testimony of who YOU are and what YOU’VE done for the whole world… for You “SO loved the world,” that You gave your “only begotten son…” so that all who believe in Him wouldn’t perish, but have eternal life!

 

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