Thirty Years
The foundational text for discussing Creation is, of course, Genesis 1-2. This is where we find the biblical accounts of Creation. We learn here how God made the light, the skies, the land, the sun and moon, the plants and animals. We also learn in these accounts how God made humans in His image. Genesis 1:27 says “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.” Furthermore, we read in the biblical accounts of Creation that God said “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.” (2:18) Before Genesis 2 concludes reference is made to how “a man will leave his father and mother and be united with his wife and they will become one flesh.” (v. 24)
In this blog I don’t talk very often about the human element of Creation but I will make an exception today. In fact, I have good reason to. Today is my thirtieth wedding anniversary. On June 12, 1981 I had the privilege of taking Bonita Bonta as my “lawfully wedded wife.” I cannot thank God enough for allowing our paths to cross in Louisville, Kentucky, and for the love that we have shared all these years. I realize that not everyone chooses to marry and that is quite o.k. but for me personally God knew that it was “not good for Chuck to be alone.”
Bonita is an incredible woman. She is beautiful, gifted, compassionate and, like myself, has a great love for both God and His Creation. I could never have asked for a more supportive wife. She has been my “helper” in so many ways. She is an incredible “pastor’s wife” and has served every bit as much as a minister as I have at all of the churches where I have been pastor. She is also very supportive of my passion for photography. Even when it’s our 30th anniversary she doesn’t complain I’m flying out tonight to photograph with Rob in northern California. I am so richly blessed to have a wife who loves me like she does and who brings me so much joy.
So today I give thanks that when God created the world He came up with the idea of marriage and that later on down the road He made a woman down in Florida that I would eventually meet here in Kentucky and take for my wife. In this woman it is not hard to see the image of God at all. She is a constant reminder to me of the goodness of Creation!
–Chuck
(The image of Bonita was taken in Hawaii this past April where we celebrated our 30th anniversary early. The bottom image is an abstract I took with Rob a couple of years ago of redwood trees in Muir Woods National Monument near San Francisco.)