A couple from St. Cloud, Minnesota both aged 99 just celebrated 80 years of marriage and they are one of the rarest pairs on the entire planet.
We know marriage is a covenant designed by God to last a lifetime. But what we see today is many relationships falling apart and divorce has become such a common word. So in the midst of all that it is really refreshing when we see a love story that made it through eight decades and still going strong.
A Love Built to Last
Only one American couple on average reaches 80 years of marriage each year. And from a global view only one in six million couples ever get there. Betty and Kermit Eastman hit that number on June 6 surrounded by two children five grandchildren 11 great-grandchildren and three great-great-grandchildren at their daughter’s home. That is not just a milestone. That is a miracle.
It all started back in Thief River Falls when Betty moved into the neighborhood and Kermit couldn’t stop walking past her house.
“I remember one time her dad said to her ‘I wonder what that Eastman boy is doing walking up and down the sidewalk'” Kermit said.
War, Vows, and Prom
Before they could even get started Kermit left high school to join the Navy during World War II. His ship the U.S.S. Mullany was hit by a Japanese kamikaze pilot.
“We were hit by a suicide plane. We lost quite a few guys. About 20 I think” he said.
So Kermit came home. They got married. And then both of them went back to finish high school. They even went to prom together as a married couple which is something you don’t hear every day. After college Kermit worked as a school superintendent in St. Cloud and they built their family from there.
Their Secret
When people asked them the secret they didn’t give a long answer.
“Just don’t keep secrets and be honest” Betty said.
“Tell it like it is. Just live every day. Every day is a gift” Kermit said.
So what is the secret to a long and lasting marriage? As the Bible says a house built on rock will stand through any storm. So our marriage should be built on that same rock and that rock is Jesus Christ.
When Christ is at the centre of our marriage we no longer see ourselves as two separate people. There is no “I” and “me” anymore. It becomes “we” and “us” in Christ. There are no hidden rooms in our hearts and no secrets to hide.
We see our spouse through the eyes of Christ and love them the way He loves us. We forgive them as Christ forgave us.
Live each day with gratitude and cherish every moment with your spouse.
WATCH: One of the Rarest Couples on Earth Celebrates 80 Years of Marriage at Age 99
