Finding What Is Good


"Sonrisa!" "Smile!" We say it often when we take someone's photo. In our family we especially say it when taking a picture of my wife's parents. They come from a generation that typically didn't smile for pics. Portraits were to look serious. I'll get back to my in-laws in a moment.
I've had the good fortune of seeing the water flow over Victoria Falls on the border of Zambia and Zimbabwe. I've gazed upon the snowcapped Himalayas, walked the Pacific shores of Central America, sipped espresso at a corner café in Venice, and ridden an elephant in Thailand. I've seen giraffes galloping in Kenya, been snorkeling in the Caribbean Sea, and watched whales leap out of the Alaskan Inside Passage. From the historic cobblestones streets of Antigua, Guatemala to the modern architectural wonders of Dubai I've seen some amazing sights. I count myself as incredibly fortunate. 
One of the most beautiful things I've ever seen is when my 91 year old father-in-law embraces my 90 year old bed ridden mother-in-law, his bride of 66 years, and kisses her and tells her he loves her. He smiles, her eyes dance. It brings tears to my eyes.
The Bible says, "He who finds a wife finds what is good and receives favor from the LORD." Proverbs 18:22. 
"Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh." Matthew 19:5.
Anyone who has been married for decades has been through some ups and downs. I know that's true for my father and mother-in-law as well. They worked hard, raised 8 children, have 19 grandchildren, and the great-grandchildren number keeps growing. They are an example of faithfulness and commitment. And when it's time for a picture they just stand there. They don't smile...but we do. 
"Thanks Tirso and Carmen. You guys rock!"
Following the Son,

James A Williams

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