On Friday, I joined President Trump in Kerrville—alongside other local officials                                                                                                                                      


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Last Christmas, Jan and I sent out our Christmas card with pictures of us through 50 years of Christmases together.


Yesterday marked our 50th wedding anniversary. Here’s the story.


We met in November 1974 on a cruise. We weren’t going. We were both on board before the ship sailed, saying goodbye to our parents. It was the custom in those days. As God would have it, her family’s cabin and my parents’ cabin were next to each other. Jan and I met in the hall. We got married 8 months later on July 19th, 1975.


Jan’s father had been killed in a tragic car accident before we met. Her mom went on the cruise with her family at their insistence. It was a cruise she and Jan’s dad had planned for their anniversary. His name was Dan. Her brother’s name was also Dan. God's hand was clearly in this.


People often ask us the secret to 50 years of marriage. We don’t live with our parents for 50 years. We don’t keep a job for 50 years. A half century is a long time for anything.


So, what’s the secret? It’s putting God at the center of our marriage. I saw how Jan’s family’s faith got them through the loss of her father. It took me a while, but I finally committed my life to Jesus Christ. Jan was already there ahead of me in her faith.


Like every marriage, we’ve had hurdles to overcome, but with God, we weathered those times together. Not the two of us. The three of us. Through life’s hardships, we always emerged stronger and closer. We put our trust in Him to see us through. Scripture says in Proverbs 3:5, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.”


This week, I’ve attended 3 funerals for eight- and nine-year-old little girls and a 21-year-old young woman who all died in the flood. It’s been heartbreaking. Texas and the nation are grieving. I’ve leaned on Proverbs 3:5, as have others, many times.


As Lt. Governor, we’ve lost so many tragically over this last decade. I go to the funerals to honor these families as much as I can on behalf of the Senate and 30 million Texans. Long before I was in elected office, my pastor once told me when you visit someone who has lost a loved one, just show up. It’s not important what you say. It’s just important that you are there. I’ve heeded his wisdom ever since.


Through all of the losses I’ve seen over my life, there is one remarkable and inspiring thread. The family’s belief in God and how their faith gets them through these terrible and tragic times. They stand on the rock of their faith. In the toughest of times, they lean on God, trusting the promise that they will be reunited in heaven. Whether it’s a police officer killed in the line of duty, a victim of a senseless crime, or someone lost in an act of nature, it’s faith that gets them through again and again.


So here I sit on this day, never dreaming 50 years of marriage could go by so fast. Never dreaming of being elected one day in the greatest place on earth, Texas. I have tears of joy for my family and blessings, which are many, and at the same time tears of deep hurt for all of the families who have lost so much.


Jan and I had a grand 3-week anniversary trip planned to visit family. With the response to the floods and the Special Session, it’s now down to just a long weekend, which is fine. We’ll celebrate longer on our 51st next July. Right now, it’s important to be here.


My earthly focus is on the upcoming Special Session and the families and recovery.


My spiritual focus is on thanking God every morning when I awake for all the blessings we have been given, asking Him what we can do today for His Kingdom, and how we can help those who are suffering. He understands the heartache. He wept at the loss of Lazarus (John 11:35).


Many people are suffering today for various reasons. Many feel they are alone with no one to turn to. If you are suffering, feel lost, need hope, and haven’t turned to God, give it a try. You are not alone. Jesus loves you. All you have to do is reach out in prayer. He will answer. In all things, trust God. Through good times and bad, He will always be with you.


Thank you all for your support for those families who have lost so much in this terrible flood. Thank you for everything you do to keep Texas the shining city on the hill. Texas is a state built on strong moral principles, liberty, opportunity, and prosperity. That is why so many come to Texas. We ARE the America that all America used to be.


May God bless you and your family, and may He continue to bless the greatest state of all—Texas.


Sincerely,


Dan Patrick [[link removed]]


Dan Patrick

Lieutenant Governor of Texas


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