I think most married people will tell you that marriage involves a lot of hard work. In many ways it goes against our selfish natures – we must put the good of another always before our own good. Marriage is Gospel living: you must die to self every day to make it work successfully. Here is a great example of a couple who have lived that Gospel life to the full:

Couple say faith, commitment sustain 70-year marriage ^[1]

It is a story about Marcellus and Marcella Ruder, who were married in October 1939. They have seen good times and bad during their marriage:

From the start of their marriage in 1939, the Ruders can tell you story after story about difficult times — and good times as well.

Because of the economic times, the couple began their marriage living with Marcellus’ parents. There also was another married sibling living at home, as well as seven younger Ruder children.

Marcella’s mother died when she was 11, and her father depended on her and her sister to care for the younger ones. After Marcella married, she went to town two days a week to help care for her siblings and her father’s household.

Marcellus and Marcella later moved to Hays and Plainville, then to Wyoming, Texas and back to Hays — wherever Marcellus’ job with an oil company took him.

“We lived in Wyoming for nine months, and that was one hellacious winter,” Marcellus said. “I asked for a transfer, and that’s when we moved to Texas.”

Through all the moves and the raising of their children, the Ruders continued to give of themselves. If it was a new school that needed to be built, Marcellus came home from work, skipped supper and helped to build the school until late into the night. If he could help to do anything for the church or its school, he did. In addition, each summer he took vacation to return home to help with the harvest on the family farm.

What a model for us all. Let’s pray that we, like the Ruders, might all have marriages that stand the test of time.