“Anne Murray was the guest soloist with the orchestra,” she recalled, “and I reminisced as she sang songs popular in my youth.” When Murray began to sing “Can I Have This Dance for the Rest of My Life?” her eyes met Don’s and they smiled. Spontaneously, she rose from the couch and, with a comic bow said, “Would you care to dance, Sir?” Don played along and came to meet her in the middle of the living room.
“We giggled as we tried to assume a waltzing position and swayed to the music,” she wrote, “I began to laugh as we stepped in a pattern that would cause Fred Astaire to roll over in his grave--gracefully, of course.” Jana watch quietly from her chair as her parents continued their clumsy dance.
Suddenly, the teakettle began to whistle over the music, and Jodi breathlessly turned away from Don to go to the kitchen.
“No . . . stay!” insisted Jana. Her arm went up “like a traffic cop halting an oncoming truck,” and she hurried to the kitchen to tend to the kettle while her parents swayed and stumbled through the rest of the song.
Reflecting on that moment, Detrick wrote,
I understood. ‘No, stay!’ was a plea to us. It really meant, Please stay in love . . . stay committed to each other and to our home . . . keep laughing together . . . stay partners even when you step on each other's toes in the crazy dance of marriage. It meant, No, don't let the busyness of your lives, the whistling of other teakettles, pleasure in other places, separate your embrace . . . no, don't be too tired and too preoccupied to hear the music of young love . . . keep lighting up when you look into each other's eyes across a room. Just . . . stay.This Sunday we begin a study on “staying.” The marriage enrichment series is called “Pulling Together When You’re Pulled Apart.” Join us at our combined 10am service this Sunday, October 19!
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2 comments:
Pastor Goodman,
I just wanted you to know that my husband ran across your blog recently. We were heartened to see the reference to the article ("Stay") I wrote for Focus on the Family several years back. It is so encouraging that those words could still be meaningful all these years later! Thanks for passing them along in your blog. My husband, Don, and I are still "staying" and loving life together for almost 35 years now! Our daughter in the story, Jana, is a lovely 25-year-old young woman who is passionate about serving Jesus and reaching those far from Him. I'm still writing and have had the privilege of doing a regular religion column for The Seattle Times on a rotating basis with columnists of other faiths. (You can find my past columns on their website if you're ever interested.)
Just wanted to say hello and thanks for your kind words about my article. I enjoyed reading your other blogs, too. Great writing and great content! Keep up the good work for the cause of our Lord!
In His grace,
Jodi Detrick
Thanks for stopping by Jodi. Good to read that you're still writing! I got lots of great comments on your story (and I closed with it in yesterday's sermon, too). Blessings!
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