For better, for worse, for the richest, for the poorest, in sickness and in health.
We’ve all heard those clichéd wishes a MILLION times. They can look all sweet and syrupy when you’re dressed in white, perfectly healthy and proclaiming your “forever” love for your spouse at your fairytale wedding.
But what about when life gets ugly?
When dementia sets in, when arthritis afflicts your joints, when alopecia steals your beautiful curly locks… or when cancer strikes.
These are the times when the marriage is really tested. This is where Paul’s command in Ephesians “to love your wives as Christ loved the church” becomes real and raw.
In a society where the divorce rate continues to rise and the value of marriage steadily declines, this is a mantra we hear proclaimed by many, but few live by.
Mackenna Newman’s mother, 17, was diagnosed with thyroid cancer last October and was forced to remain in isolation due to her radiation treatments. But that didn’t stop her faithful husband from staying by her side.
The teenager posted this photo of her father on Twitter on Friday with a message that read: “My mum has to stay in her room in isolation for her radiation treatment for cancer, so my dad has set up a desk on his doorstep to keep her company and I am crying.
The gripping image of his father’s unwavering love and devotion to his ailing wife has since sparked a viral storm of emotion among readers around the world.
Facebook, Instagram and Twitter users send well wishes, prayers and love to the sweet husband who stayed outside his wife’s bedroom “all the time,” Mackenna told BuzzFeed.
“The amount of love I’ve received is insane and I didn’t expect it, but I’m so grateful,” she added.
“Jon goes to every doctor’s appointment, every blood test, every operation, every radiation treatment,” Mackenna’s mother said. “And, as you can see, if he can’t be by my side, he’s as close as he can be!”
The Newman family has been overwhelmed with the support they have received from strangers who are truly inspired by Jon’s beautiful display of servitude.
But as for Jon, he doesn’t understand what all the hype is about.
For him, he is simply doing his job: loving his wife well. ??
“Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the Church and gave himself up for her. ~ Ephesians 5:25
