Thirty-five is just a number until you put some context to it, and a number can have many contexts. 

It can represent the number of years one has lived on this earth. … I remember when I was 35 years old, mountain biking with my youth group in the mountains in Jasper, Alberta. A bunch of them wanted to take a black diamond trail, so I figured I should go along. 

About a third of the way down, I thought to myself, “I’m too old to keep up with these kids.” I had watched them grow from junior-highers to 16 and 17 year olds and I was feeling old.

Thirty-five can also be used in the context of money. It wasn’t that long ago when $35 was about the price of a round of golf. Well, those days have long gone.

Some people might have possessions that were made 35 years ago, but I can’t think of too many things I own that are that old. 

I don’t have any clothes from back then; I don’t have a bike that is that old; certainly not a car … though a car that old would be considered vintage.

The house I live in hasn’t been around that many years, and I don’t have children that age either.

But I do have something that is 35 years old and that is a ring. It was made 35 years ago and I actually received it 35 years ago to this day (August 17).

I know you’ve guessed that it’s my wedding ring.

Thirty-five years ago today I married Lily. Well, it’s not quite 35 yet because we were married in the afternoon and I’m writing this in the morning. 

A “35” in front of “anniversary” has context. Some might consider it vintage, while others would say we’re just getting started.

But thirty-five years of marriage packs a lot of memories, and those memories go back to when we looked like kids.

I have memories of our honeymoon in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina that I can’t give you any details about … though we did play a number of championship mini-putt courses there.

I also have memories of our 10th anniversary when we stayed in the FantasyLand Hotel at West Edmonton Mall. We stayed in the Polynesian Room, but I can’t give you any details about that either.

What I can tell you is that I have loved every minute of our 35 years together. 

Well, every minute might be stretching it.

Lily and I have shared many amazing times, emotions and events in our life together. And we have also shared some low times as well.

Like any marriage, you reminisce about the good times and grow deeper together in the tough times. 

I even remember one anniversary where we spent the night in a dorm room of a university, while taking twenty-one high school students to a youth conference in Waterloo, Ontario.

… Funny thing is I can’t give you any details on that one either.

Here’s the thing: Most of us can quantify our love for someone. We can identify when we realized we loved that person and we can calculate the time from then until now. But God’s love for us is more complicated than that. His numbering system is more difficult to quantify. God says in the Bible that He’s “loved you with an everlasting love”. That almost defies putting it into context, but we know exactly what He means. Accept His love today if you haven’t already. Celebrate and reminisce about His love if you already have it. 

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: What number means something to you? Leave your comments and questions below.

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