Devotionals by FamilyLife

Forgotten Treasures in Marriage
By Jim Mitchell

As an aspiring craftsman, exotic woods always catch my eye.

The contrasting dark-light variations in black walnut. The unpredictable knots and grain patterns of live-edge pecan. Sucks me right in every time.

So when I stumbled across something called “old growth sinker cypress,” I was intrigued.

All I know about cypress is that it is moisture and pest repellant, and therefore perfect for outdoor applications. But what makes it “old growth,” and what does “sinker” mean?

What I discovered made me fall in love with the wood … and my wife.

You see, old growth sinker cypress derives its name from centuries old cypress logs, some more than six feet in diameter, harvested during the Revolutionary War for King George III, lying on the river bottoms of wetland areas like Louisiana and Florida.

As loggers originally attempted to float these immense trees down river, some of the denser, heavier logs sank to the bottom. Sunken treasures, lost to the world.

Until recently, when modern sonar technology began to enable their rescue. And the result has been breathtaking!

The cold-water submersion process has not only preserved these logs perfectly, it’s actually contributed to their beauty and character and overall value.

A maze of pecky-wood holes weaving through the tightly-clustered growth-rings. Artful strokes of red and olive brushed into the wood’s natural golden hue by the rich minerals and tannins of the river’s soil. All of which makes old growth sinker cypress wood desirable and highly sought after.

And all of which brings me to my marriage, and maybe yours too.

Beauty. Character. Value. Submerged, perhaps. Sunk beneath a steady flow of the ordinary. Buried in the soil of the mundane. Lost to the world.

But a closer look reveals treasure not just preserved, but enhanced by every growth-ring experience of life.

Hidden treasure, awaiting discovery. And the result is breathtaking!

Do you want to weatherproof your marriage? Listen to David and Meg Robbins talk about the tools you need.

The Good Stuff: For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal. (2 Corinthians 4:17-18)

Action Points: No matter how long (or brief) your marriage, there are plenty more discoveries to make. Some may float to the surface on their own. But the real finds lie beneath the surface. Will you look for them?

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