Love Isn’t Enough




Imagine an old car with a young couple and their two little kids traveling across the country in the relentless mid-summer’s heat.

Optimism prevailed—a promised teaching job paying far more than the jobs back home. Finally arriving, the promised job is gone and now their pockets are nearly empty. Struggle wasn’t new to Conward and Bernadean, so they turned around and figured it wasn’t meant to be.

Oh, but it was. Crossing the Oregon border into Washington, Conward decided to call a local school for any possible job.

He didn’t know God too well, but miraculously He provided a teaching job for the following September, a place to live, and an immediate income source as a janitor. It was their new beginning. And it became the invitation to get to know God much better—which they did.





Anyone married as long as Conward and Bernadean knows that life brings many new beginnings. Like the new beginning that came after Conward had spent countless nights and several summers studying to become a school principal. With a heart of love and specialty in reading, Conward helped hundreds of students.

Then there was the new beginning when Bernadean fell from a ladder and years of back surgeries and painful struggles re-defined their life. Later when she was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis, that new beginning brought severe anguish, but a fresh outpouring of love and support—especially from her husband. Yet, she didn’t let her pain prevent her from building a thriving Bible bookstore.

Following God helped them when it was too dark to see. Along life’s journey they could see His infinite care. God’s love helped them learn how to love one another better.

But early on, they learned that love wasn’t enough to help their marriage last.

What’s more important than love? Faith in God. The desperate, young couple that met God on a dusty road learned that He was the only One who could make it all work. God joined them on their journey—and never left them.

Same for us too. We will never have enough love to make it through life or marriage. It’s God’s power working inside us that helps marriages thrive. Love may be the fuel, but faith in God is the match that ignites the flame. And it’s still burning bright in the hearts of Conward and Bernadean—so much so that their light brightens the path for others.




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