Devotionals by FamilyLife

Keeping Up With the Wilsons
By Lisa Lakey

Have you ever met someone and immediately thought, “Wow, I want to be like them when I grow up!”? (Just so you know, this can be true no matter your age.)

I wanted to be just like the Wilsons.

We were young, freshly married, and naive about life. Our neighbors were grandparents, married for decades, and had more wisdom than we will likely ever have.

And we adored them.

Mrs. Wilson always seemed to have the right ingredients on hand to whip up a coconut cream pie from scratch, because she knew it was my husband’s favorite.

Mr. Wilson once showed up on my doorstep in the pouring rain, holding his umbrella to invite me to dinner with them. Josh was out of town, and it was storming. They simply didn’t want me to feel alone.

But the best part of this amazing life duo? They loved God in a way I had never seen before. All this kindness and generosity pouring out of them? It was the straight-up love of Jesus. They didn’t just go to church. They considered going an honor and privilege, and invited us along anytime something fun was happening.

I didn’t have to know Jesus to know they loved Him. So much, that the once-20-something-girl writing this now actually wanted to join them.

Through the Wilsons, I met Jesus.

I’ve experienced firsthand that people are watching us … our responses to life … our marriages. What do they see? Do they see someone exhausted by life, running the rat race, and keeping up with the Joneses?

Or, like the Wilsons, will they see something more in us?

What can you learn from a mentor couple? Read Dennis Rainey’s “40 Lessons from 40 Years of Marriage.”

The Good Stuff: But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. (Romans 8:10)

Action Points: Take note of the relationships around you. Who are your “Wilsons” as a married couple? Is there a younger couple you could be “Wilsons” to? And don’t forget the value of learning from a couple that’s been there. Talk with your spouse about approaching an older couple to mentor you.

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