Go Beyond

Thirty-four years ago on this date, I married the woman I love. And today, I still love the woman I married. Loving Cheryl has always been easy for me — easier, I am sure, than it has sometimes been for Cheryl to love me. When I married Cheryl I felt like the man Jesus talked about who had found a pearl of great price and immediately recognized the surpassing value of what he had found. That man sold all that he had in order buy that single pearl he had longed to possess (Matt. 13:45-46). Like that guy, I certainly found a good thing when I found Cheryl. She has certainly enriched my life.

Newlyweds | November 1980

Since we only have a couple of days to celebrate our anniversary, Cheryl and I decided to do one of the things we enjoy most — a Texas backroads road trip. I don’t know that I will ever retire, but if that day ever comes then Cheryl and I know exactly what we would like to do. We would love to buy a little trailer to pull behind a pickup truck and hit the road. We’d love to visit and explore small Texas towns, learn their respective stories, and eat at quaint diners and dives.

This morning, we decided to hit the road in spite of the rain forecasted to soak most of the Lone Star State. According to the weather report, things should clear up by Sunday morning. No problem. We loaded our stuff in the truck and headed west to see where the road would lead us. We decided to visit and stay in Johnson City, the home of Lyndon B. Johnson, our 36th President. We drove through lots of rain on winding backroads in the Texas Hill Country before arriving in Johnson City. Texas drives are enjoyable, even in the rain.

After enjoying a late lunch at the Pecan Street Restaurant, one of the local diners (the food was delicious, by the way), we went exploring most of the streets in town. There are lots of little shops near the courthouse that are geared to tourists, kind of like a mini-Fredericksburg thing. These little shops add great Texas character to the town. And the oak trees in the neighborhoods are a−maz−ing. They’ve obviously been here a while and have had plenty of time to develop their distinctive characters.

We stopped by LBJ’s boyhood home and drove down South Lady Bird Lane. We laughed as we drove past the Boot Hill Health Store — a Texas oxymoron for sure. The pace of life on Johnson City streets was noticeably slower, but that may be because the weather kept lots of folks at home today. The folks we met were more than friendly enough. We are enjoying our little adventure in Johnson City. Tomorrow we’ll head northwest to Enchanted Rock and then head south to Lost Maples State Natural Area for a quick visit before returning home.

Cheryl and I are certainly two souls knitted together by God. We enjoy being together and sharing our little affordable backroads adventures. These shared moments remind me of how fortunate I am to be married to the woman I love and for whom I have the deepest respect. It’s been a long time since Cheryl and I enjoyed our 2,100 mile honeymoon road trip, but I’m still deeply in love with the gal in my passenger seat. I am thankful that we tied the knot thirty-four years ago and that the knot is still tied. I am blessed, indeed.