Grace Church
257 Kendall Street
Burlington, WI 53105
(262) 763-3021
March 8th
“The hero is one who kindles a great light in the world, who sets up blazing torches in the dark streets of life for men to see by.” Felix Adler
One of my heroes went Home to be with the Lord last weekend, Paul Harvey. While most people know Paul Harvey for his daily news broadcast and radio show, The Rest of the Story, they may now realize that he was also a committed believer.
Whenever I could, I tried to catch his broadcast. He had a unique style of giving the news. His show reached an estimated 24 million listeners on more than 1,200 radio stations around the country, not to mention the 400 Armed Forces Radio stations around the world who broadcast it. There were two traits though that I admired Paul Harvey for.
a) He was a man of courageous convictions, even when they weren’t popular. Though a conservative, in 1970, Paul Harvey shocked many of his listeners with his most famous broadcast. In the wake of Richard Nixon's expansion of the Vietnam War into Cambodia, Paul Harvey courageously said: “Mr. President, I love you. But you're wrong.” It took courage and I’m sure it cost him both listeners and advertizing dollars.
b) He loved his wife and was committed to their marriage. While working in St. Louis, Harvey met Lynne Cooper, a student-teacher from a socially prominent family who read school news announcements. Instantly smitten with the young woman he nicknamed Angel, he later asked her to dinner. They were married nearly 68 years.
Sadly, Angel died last May. In light of the fact that his beloved, Angel, was gone, it didn’t really surprise me to learn too that Paul Harvey had also passed away. Some folks have such healthy relationships that they are what someone has described as “one soul in two bodies.” The loss of one will often bring about the death of their partner. It’s as if they die of a broken heart.
In a day when so many “stars” swap partners nearly as often as they change their socks, Paul Harvey stood head and shoulders above the rest. It was commonly known that he and Angel were not just husband and wife, they were lovers...sweethearts. That’s after sixty-eight years of marriage. And I’m sure it was not easy. It takes hard work and commitment to have a fulfilling, healthy marriage.
One of my responsibilities as your pastor is that I frequently do both marital and pre-marital counseling. Most situations just need a minor adjustment, though there are those situations where someone with a lot more gifts than I have is needed. You could say that I’m a General Practitioner, but there are situations where a specialist is needed.
One fact I do know about my own marriage is that I out-married myself. I’ve often joked that the Lord certainly has a sense of humor – He put me in the ministry – because if I’d done the choosing, I would not have put Scott Carson in the ministry. There are many pastors who are just naturally gracious, kind and loving – unfortunately, I’m not one of them. I know absolutely Who the source of the fruits of the Spirit are in my life – and it’s not me. And I know that I can be a stinker, even a jerk.
Frequently, though, after I’ve worked with a couple on some of their issues, I’ll ask Jane later for a reality check. I’ll ask how I’m doing, are there some bad marital habits that I’ve slipped into, am I mistreating her, am I thoughtless, am I missing some things...and don’t even know it? Over the years I’ve had to make a lot of needed growth changes and adjustments.
That’s, what makes a healthy marriage – growth and adjustments. Jane and I will celebrate 26 years this year. We’re closer and more in love than we’ve ever been BUT it takes work and commitment. What saddens me is that I see far too many Christian marriages that settle for mediocrity. The couple are not lovers, they’re little more than roommates or business partners. And the great tragedy is that they are willing to settle for what is essentially marital failure without the divorce.
Please don’t do that!! None of us will ever have a perfect marriage; all marriages though should be growing and getting healthier, particularly among believers. So please get help! If you’re partner won’t go to counseling, go without them, after all you’re not attached at the hip. Ask the Lord too to show you the areas that you need to work on. Make sure that you’re doing what you can to faithfully serve the Lord in your marriage and not excusing sinful behavior just because your spouse is not what he/she should be, at least from your perspective. All of us will someday give account to God for our own behavior. We need to do what is right even if no one else is.
Then, find a prayer partner. Someone who will speak the truth in love to you and let you know when you’re wrong. Someone who will keep confidences. And someone who’ll also faithfully pray for you and your marriage.
Paul Harvey was heroic in that with all of his fame and notoriety, he could have looked around for other sexual encounters. I’m sure that there were opportunities, but instead he was a man who took his vows seriously. Are you? Do you take your vows seriously? God wants us to have healthy, Christ-honoring marriages. Are you doing your part to make sure that yours is one of them?