Their Affection For Each Other

Their Affection For Each Other

Last Sunday, our church held their service on the beach at Lake Michigan. We are in Door County, WI where we’ve come almost every summer since I was a child. My grandpa built a cabin up here in 1959 and then my dad built one right next door thirty years ago so we’ve always loved coming here.

During the service, there was an older man with long, gray hair in front of us sitting next to his wife who had long, wavy blond hair. I noticed that he was continually putting his hand on her back and around her waist. It was easy to notice how much affection he had for her. Her Bible was laying on the ground in front of her and was all marked up so I could tell she was a woman of the Word. When she sang, her arms were lifted high in the air praising the Lord.

When the service was over and they turned around, Ken asked if he was a part of the Gaither Band. I then remembered last week someone telling me that the young, tall handsome man who sings up front was one of the sons of Guy Penrod who sang in the Gaither Band and then it all made sense. The couple I was admiring was Guy and his wife, Angie!

I then found out that they have eight children! Many of them were standing right in front of us next to their parents; all of them were very tall boys. They have seven boys and one girl. There was a baptism after the service and I saw Angie come up behind Guy and wrap her arms around him. Anyone watching them could tell they have a strong and happy marriage.

It’s rare to see a couple interact the way they did and knowing they’ve been married a long time and have so many children makes it even more special. They are witnesses to all around them the value of having a good marriage and children. Their children are blessed being raised by parents like them. This shouldn’t be rare among Christian couples but it seems to be, unfortunately.

Guy wrote this on his Facebook page on his 30th wedding anniversary: “When Angie and I married almost 30 years ago now, we could have never known how much we would learn from one another about love, life, and God Himself. As believers, whether you are married or single, God has chosen to show us how He wants to relate to us by using the model of marriage.

Angie and I hope that you will press into the presence of God more each day of 2015, remembering that good communication done often, is the key to an ever deepening relationship of any kind. Love God, and each other, the way He says to and the rest falls into place! LOVE NEVER FAILS! (1 Cor. 13:8)”

Here is a video of them from 2006 and Guy said about his wife Angie, “She feels like she was put on this earth to be a mama!” Yes, the picture above is one I sneakily took of them after the church service. They are a beautiful family and I felt privileged to be able to have a small glimpse into their lives.

Let thy fountain be blessed: and rejoice with the wife of thy youth.
Proverbs 5:18

16 thoughts on “Their Affection For Each Other

  1. This is a tough topic for me…
    I’m a very affectionate person. I openly display affection to my boys (8 and 5). I try to always, always, always make time for cuddles, hugs and verbally say the words “I love you” several times a day. But when it comes to my husband, he is not comfortable displaying any type of affection. We rarely hold hands. He almost never puts an arm around me. Hugs and even kissing are for when he leaves work for the day. I have tried initiating affection (in the privacy of our home) but it only seems to make him feel uncomfortable or he will go along with it out of obligation. Out of respect and love for him, I’ve tried to let it go and instead focus on all the other wonderful things about him.

  2. Dear Lori,
    What an amazing testimony to love in a marriage! My husband and I will have been married for 13 years next month. We started out loving each other and have never stopped. I think that it is so critical to start off with a firm foundation of love for Christ and love for each other in marriage. Otherwise the seeds of bitterness will choke the life out of the husband.

    Blessings!

  3. What a great couple! Next time you are at a family event or a party…take notice of how many couples split up and don’t talk to each other the entire night, much less touch each other affectionately. I’m so glad that my husband and I are not like that.

  4. Hi Lori. My husband and I live only 2 hours away from Door County. We love to take day trips there each year. By the way, are the cherries ? ready for the picking yet? Enjoy your time away! ?

  5. He was most likely not shown warmth and affection from his mother so he doesn’t know how to give it. It’s way too common today since so few children are being raised full time with their mothers these days. Continue to be warm, cheerful, and kind towards him and you will probably one day melt his hardened heart.

  6. Usually, the only couples that are affectionate and having fun together are those who are not married, Mrs. Gee. This shouldn’t change but usually a wife with a critical, fault-finding spirit will tear her home down with her own hands. It’s tragic.

  7. We love Door County. It’s so quiet and peaceful compared to where we live. I also love seeing all of my many relatives once a year. I am thankful for my grandpa who found this place many years ago! I am not sure about the cherries but I can see them all over the trees so it must be close!

  8. I can’t believe you’re in Wisconsin!!!! (I live an hour away from Door County. We go there all the time.?) I’d LOVE to meet you!!! But I also wish to respect your family time. Just know I have enjoyed your blog and the Lord has used you in my life. Enjoy your vacation. We will meet in Heaven.?

  9. Love this post! Isn’t it inspiring to see a couple loving each other, happy together after having raised a big, wonderful family?! Early in our marriage we sure did make some mistakes, but one good thing we did was befriend a couple who was older than us and whose children were nearly grown at that point. They were (and are) wonderful mentors for us and we learned a great deal from them. They are a lot like the couple that you describe in your post. Enjoy your vacation and family time!

  10. All i can say is ? im a bit put off by the gaithers as most of the videos ive seen look showy. But i do enjoy the singing. Its great to get more of a glimpse into Guy’s life. I never knew he had 8 kids! The video you linked to was great too. You should of gone up and said hello. ? Wonderful post!

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