Who Knew? (04/26/2025)
- Dr. Kate Wiskus
- 3 hours ago
- 2 min read
Who knew on April 26, 1969 what lay ahead for Kenneth and I as we came together with family and friends at Cathedral of Epiphany in Sioux City, Iowa. At our wedding we had a plethora of hopes but no real certainties. We had lots of well wishers but not much in the way of wealth. Who knew then what we know now, 56 years later? Who knew we’d make it to this day, to this place, to being who we are now?
Our path to today took many turns with several address changes and career changes. The most formative changes, however, were neither geographical nor occupational but rather familial – the blessing of three children and eventually eight grandchildren. As our relationship deepened, the addition of each new person expanded our hearts beyond what we would have thought possible.
Each addition, each birth, opened us to new challenges but also new possibilities and new discoveries. And to this day, our favorite days are when everyone shows up, our kitchen island is full of food, our family room noise level is as high as the Super Bowl, and we look around at the faces of children and grandchildren and count ourselves blessed.
Today, Kenneth and I will celebrate our anniversary quietly as we usually do. We may go out to dinner or order Chinese and eat in. We exchange cards that we keep (in a chest in my craft room). We’ll talk about our journey here and try to look out to what’s ahead. We usually make plans, but they rarely come to fruition, life usually takes us on a detour. But we’re okay with that – it still brought us to today.
And overlooking all of this is our LORD without whom we would not be, we would not be where we are, we would not be who we are. This morning, I took some extra time on the porch and offered my deepest thanks to the LORD who has brought me here with the best man I know. God really does take care of short Irish women and fools.
Our journey has been step by step. We weren’t able to jettison ahead at warp speed over the trying nor slow time down to linger in the good moments. Our journey, though, has always and everywhere been blessed by the power and presence of our LORD. Many times those blessing came in the hands or contributions of others. We recognize we didn’t make it here alone. We are grateful for the loving accompaniment and help of others and the constant loving presence of our LORD.
Today might not be your anniversary, but it might still be a good day to look back and look for the LORD’s presence in your life. I hope you consider that.
Until tomorrow, let us all love well.