Before the Eyes of Children

This is a tribute which we presented to my parents on their 50th wedding anniversary.

*** Note. God created the family to be a model and a bridge to a Father and child relationship with Him.  If your family was a poor model and bridge, the goal is still attainable.  God loves you beyond your imagination, and will step over the destruction of your life to bring you into His family.  It’s what He does!

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To: D.E.S. & M.E.S.

——————

When God thought up the family,

He had a two-fold plan,

Therefore, He made a woman with

The rib He took from man.

He brought the two together and

He said it was for life,

The woman to respect her man,

The man to love his wife.

So through this blessed union many

Children He could bring

To live first in this world and then

In Heaven where He’s King,

For the family He created as

A model and a tool

To show the countless blessings of

A Father’s love and rule.

Thus, the love that could be shown from both

The Husband and the wife

Would help inspire the children to

Accept eternal life.

*   *   *   *   *

His plan, I say most gratefully has

Been so well fulfilled

Through you our blessed parents, this kind

Of love has been revealed,

For the life that you have lived out here

Before your children’s eyes

Deserves eternal gratitude, 

Our thanks should ever rise.

     *   *   *   *   * 

For Daddy, you have shown us what

It means to love a wife,

How to treat her special and to

Greatly bless her life,

From the love notes you would leave her as

The sun began to rise,

To the flowers gently placed on

The car to meet her eyes,

Hot coffee every morning just

To help her start the day,

The way you’ve always helped around

The house in every way,

And concern for her safety’s kept

The maintenance of her car

An ultimate priority for

Driving near or far. 

Yes, you’ve always been there for her, as

You’ve always been for us,

Demonstrating what it means to love,

Inspiring us to trust.

You’d hug and kiss her in the morning

And on into the night;

Your children slept so peacefully knowing

Everything was right.

     *   *   *   *   *  

And mother you have showed us what

A blessed wife can be,

Loving and supportive, like precious

Water to a tree,

Understanding Daddy’s nature and

The realms he likes to build,

Patient and encouraging as he’s

Hammered, sawed and drilled,

Often going for supplies for his

Latest undertaking,

When arriving home, his favorite

Food you’d soon be making,

Concerned about his health, you’ve always

Pushed him to be careful,

And lifting him to God, you have

Continually been prayerful.

Yes, you’ve always been there for him, as

You’ve always been for us,

Demonstrating what it means to love,

Inspiring us to trust.

You’d hug and kiss him in the morning

And on into the night;

Your children slept so peacefully knowing

Everything was right.

     *   *   *   *   *

 Yes, we’ve watched you meet each other’s needs,

You’ve put each other first,  

You’ve done it through the best times and you’ve

Done it through the worst,    

And we never saw a vicious hand,

Nor heard a cutting word,

For even in your anger, your

True love was never blurred.

Nor did you even argue where a

Little child could hear,

Therefore, our hearts were filled with faith and

Never dread or fear.

Yes, you’ve been there for each other, as

You’ve always been for us,

Demonstrating what it means to love,

Inspiring us to trust.

With hugs and kisses in the morning

And on into the night,

Your children slept so peacefully knowing

Everything was right.

     *   *   *   *   *

And how you’ve raised your children is a

Tale that should be told

From atop the highest mountain shouted

To the world below.

You so loved us and enabled us to

Leave the nest and sail

That as we seek to raise our own,

I pray we do as well.

Yes, you got us up for church and you

Taught us how to pray,

You taught us how to work and you

Taught us to obey.

Now for these priceless lessons, there’s

No ample way to say

How much they’ve truly blessed us, for

They do it every day.

And Daddy, thanks, you taught your sons,

Then helped us all the way

To use our tools and fix our cars

And build a house to stay,

While Mother took the time to show

A daughter how to cook

And sew the latest fashions with

A pattern from a book.

You also took us camping and

We learned to fish and hunt,

You signed us up for football where

We learned to throw and punt,

Plus pets and scouting, soccer, boxing,

Karate and the dance,

Of all the ways to bless us, you two

Never missed a chance.

You also offered college and you

Bought us our first cars,

And though they were not new, you know

They took us pretty far,

And if they stopped, we always knew that

Just a call away

Were dad and mom, our heroes,

Who’d come and save the day.

You also built a room, which you

Intended for yourselves

To use it for your sewing, model

Trains and storage shelves,

But you gave it to your kids, first to

The one that wouldn’t go,

Then sometimes to the others after

Life had laid them low.

Yes, you’ve been there for each other and

You’ve always been for us,

Demonstrating what it means to love,

Inspiring us to trust.

You hugged and kissed us in the morning

And on into the night;

Your children slept so peacefully knowing

Everything was right.

—————

Love,

Your very blessed children