It’s my wife Trudy’s birthday. We celebrated with dinner and a concert last night and will continue celebrating this weekend. And then, two weeks from now, we’ll celebrate our engagement anniversary—the day we chose to do something completely unnatural, to be exclusively committed to each other for as long as we lived.
It’s natural for humans to seek out multiple partners. Enlightened experts like to point this out, along with the fact that the next two most intelligent species, great apes and dolphins, are wildly promiscuous—so it’s clearly natural for us to be so as well.
And in truth, as a young man I was very promiscuous; when my hormones rang, I answered the call. And yet, at the same time, I was anxiously seeking out the “reason” for my existence.
That’s not natural either.
Humans are the only species on earth that feel called to be something beyond the natural. There’s a half-tuned receiver inside us that demands to be fully tuned in; and when we do, it calls us to go beyond the natural to the supernatural, not in the sense of ghostly or occult, but in the sense of surpassing our natural animal behavior (the Latin word “super” literally means to go beyond or above).
The most obvious way in which we exercise our supernaturalness, is monogamy. True, we’re not the only monogamous animals—wolves, swans, and many others, even cockroaches and flatworms, are naturally monogamous. But we are (if and when we choose to be) the only supernaturally monogamous creatures.
And it doesn’t end there. Humans are (if and when they choose to be) the only supernaturally peaceful creatures (sadly, Vladimir Putin is behaving all too naturally right now). Humans are also the only supernaturally forgiving creatures. And ultimately, they are the only supernaturally gracious creatures, grace, in its original sense, meaning undeserved favor or love — if and when they choose to be.
And so, exclusively loving my wife is just one of the many supernatural behaviors I’m committed to. And Trudy has the same weird preoccupation. No, it doesn’t come naturally to us, and yet we persist. Odd, aren’t we?
And yet we wouldn’t have it any other way.
Mitch Teemley 
Happy Birthday!
LikeLiked by 3 people
Happy birthday! 🎉🎂
LikeLiked by 3 people
Congratulations and have a truly beautiful day Trudy. Yes to be committed to one and only one is a God supported beautiful thing. Roy and I have appreciated each others respect and commitment for 44 years. Much learnt🤣🤣🤣❤❤
LikeLiked by 3 people
Rock on, Sandy and Roy!
LikeLike
Thanks for your permission🤣🤣👏👏
LikeLiked by 2 people
;>)
LikeLiked by 2 people
Your commitment to one another, and that of countless other couples who stick it out (unnaturally, Mitch), gives relative newbies like Doug and I the courage to see it through. Not that we’ve had any difficulty with it, but it’s only been 26 years, 7 months and 18 days worth of the most amazingly wonderful experience. Role models are God’s gift!
LikeLiked by 2 people
You have done the road and know how to navigate the corners, downhills and steep bits. Congratulations👏 Strangely you never stop learning😍❤
LikeLiked by 1 person
Sheesh, Gail, you’re still newlyweds!
LikeLike
😊 We seem to be getting the idea of how to do this marriage thing. The pandemic has helped, believe it or not. We rely on one another for so much. We spent the second year of our marriage in India, where we really learned to rely on one another. Of course, without Jesus beside us, none of it would have happened!
LikeLiked by 3 people
what if 51 years 32 months 43 days with 39 minutes at lease 34 months
LikeLike
Enjoy your birthday celebrations!
LikeLiked by 3 people
Happy birthday, Trudy. My mom would have been 112 today. Mitch, thanks for continuing to model all the good stuff!
LikeLiked by 4 people
in 25 years your mom would of been
LikeLike
Happy birthday to your beautiful wife! Great read, too. So true…
LikeLiked by 3 people
Thank you on both of our behalves, Heather.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Aww. I love all the photos! A very Happy Birthday to Trudy! 🥳
LikeLiked by 3 people
do you want to count to 100
LikeLike
What a beautiful wife! Ok, beautiful couple too. Today Bob and I celebrate the day we met, 26 years ago.
May you both celebrate and enjoy many more together. ❤
LikeLiked by 3 people
Thank you, Lisa. And enjoy your Meeting Day anniversary.
LikeLike
All the best to you and Trudy, Mitch. It is great to see a couple committed to each other.
LikeLiked by 4 people
Thanks, John.
LikeLiked by 1 person
😊
LikeLiked by 1 person
Many blessings to your wife on her birthday, Mitch and blessings to both of you on your anniversary.
LikeLiked by 3 people
Thank you, Brother Anthony.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I pray you have a supernaturally blessed celebration of Trudy’s birthday and the date of your engagement!! Seems monogamy isn’t the natural way nor is having only one God – the trend seems to be to have lots of little gods. Makes me wonder if we have God and then elevate money, property, cars, designer clothes to little god status??
LikeLiked by 4 people
Yep, people have been doing that since there were, well, people (although cars are fairly new to the god category).
LikeLiked by 1 person
A friend once told me, “Every woman is beautiful if she is loved.” And so we see in the beauty of your wife your love for her!
❤️&🙏, c.a.
LikeLiked by 6 people
Enjoy the birthday celebrations!
LikeLiked by 3 people
Beautifully put Mitch. It is worth every sacrifice.
LikeLiked by 3 people
Thank you, Bob. And I agree.
LikeLike
Wonderful message, Mitch. God bless and keep preaching truth!
LikeLiked by 4 people
Thank, and you too, Nancy!
LikeLike
Happy birthday!
LikeLiked by 3 people
Happy Birthday to your beautiful wife. And blessings for the upcoming engagement anniversary in a couple of weeks.
LikeLiked by 3 people
Thank you.
LikeLiked by 1 person
A naturally beautiful couple, you two are. Enjoy your celebrations! 💕
LikeLiked by 4 people
Thanks, Michele!
LikeLiked by 1 person
What a beautiful explanation of our human monogamy leanings! Such a meaningful way to show your love and commitment to one another. Happy birthday to Trudy and happy engagement anniversary to you both! Bob and I have been married 41 years and have enjoyed every moment of our commitment to one another and to God. Thanks for the goodness found here!
LikeLiked by 4 people
To me, supernatural means transcending our animal urges for something more spiritually worthy of our time. Happy Anniversary.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thank you!
LikeLike
I guess this is what my wife says when she says it’s “work” being married to me. Ha, ha. We’re still at it though. It may be the toughest job we’ve ever had, but it’s one that we both would never trade. We too wouldn’t have it any other way. Great post. Happy celebrations and Congratulations.
LikeLiked by 3 people
I get that, Brian. ;>) And thanks!
LikeLike
Happy Birthday and congratulations to both of you. What a party month!
LikeLiked by 3 people
Thanks, Erika!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Sometimes marriages are work, but they are so very worth it! We were just out to dinner with a few other couples we have known for forty years, and we’re saying how lucky we are that we are all still with our original spouses in happy marriages. Happy birthday to your lovely wife!
LikeLiked by 4 people
Thank you, Ann, and blessings in your long-time marriage as well!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Happy Anniversary to a truly odd couple – odd for all the right reasons!
LikeLiked by 3 people
;>) Thank you, Patty!
LikeLike
Mitch, this is beautiful. Happy belated birthday to Trudy. And soon to be engagement anniversary! Your unnatural love between one another is an example of what real love looks like and should be! ❤️
LikeLiked by 3 people
Thanks, Karla!
LikeLiked by 1 person
You’re welcome! ☺️
LikeLiked by 1 person
do you want to count to 100
LikeLike
Just a reminder, Rudy: Unless they know you like I do, people don’t understand why you’re asking them things about numbers.
LikeLike
they are missing & left off a #
LikeLike
I love the way you write about your wife and your relationship with tenderness and humor. Makes for a long and healthy marriage. Happy Birthday, Trudy!
LikeLiked by 4 people
Happy Birthday to your beautiful Trudy!
i love the way you write about your wife and the love you share….
It does my heart good.
i share a birthday with my beloved twin, (March 1st) and we celebrate All Month Long.
Blessings on you both.
LikeLiked by 3 people
Thank you, Matilda, and wishing you a belated Happy Birthday and Happy Twin Month!
LikeLike
Happy birthday celebration, all the bests.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thank you, Anita.
LikeLike
Congratulations on finding a great relationship.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Mitch,
Wonderful. Enjoy your time together.
In Christ,
Gary
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thanks, Gary.
LikeLike
Happy birthday! And my husband and I are odd as well. Although this is our second marriage, for both of us, we have finally been given a partner from the good Lord above that feels the same way about monogamy the other does. What a true blessing.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thank you, and good to meet you!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Congratulations🎉
LikeLiked by 2 people
Beautiful explenaton
LikeLiked by 1 person
Happy Belated Birthday to Trudy. Lovely post Mitch.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thank you, Carla.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Beautiful
LikeLiked by 2 people
Pingback: My Biggest Hits of 2022 | Mitch Teemley