Fifty-six years ago this week I heard spoken two words that changed my life for the better. After such words of caution as “for better or for worse, in sickness and in health, till death do you part” the object of my love said, “I do.” In doing so she became my bride, my life’s companion, my best friend proving every day she meant what she said.

As she stood in the vestibule of the church with her dad, who loved her dearly, Wagner’s “Bridal Chorus” began to be played.

He said, “You don’t have to go down this aisle, but if you do there is no turning back.”

Fortunately for me she did resolutely come down that aisle and hasn’t looked back while helping me look forward.

Inevitably amid all the good there have been “worse” days. Those worse days have been made better by virtue of having her as my companion.

A man is blessed whose wife and his best friend are both one and the same. I am blessed.

As an ideal wife as she has been to me she has perhaps been an even better mother to our children. We were blessed to rear two daughters who are now mature adults contributing to society. She controlled them so they were never squalling brats or obnoxious juveniles. The miracle is that during our years of marriage I have never heard her raise her voice to our children or me one time.

Solomon asked a rhetorical question: “Who can find a virtuous woman?”

My answer, I did.

Little wonder that when the Baptist Pastors Wives established an award to be given annually to the wife who best embodies the ideals of a good pastor’s wife they named it “The Trudy Price Award.”

Why this column? Solomon said if you find such a woman, praise her. Still, there is a broader reason. It is to indicate the institution of marriage is still viable.

Let me share the secret of success at anything in two words. You can pay big dollars and go to highly promoted seminars to find the secret of success, but here it is the secret to success distilled into two words.

They are: NOTHING WORKS. Nothing! A lot of unsuccessful and unproductive people spend much of their time trying to find something that works. Nothing does. You have to work at it.

Marriage doesn’t work. You have to work at it.

I don’t want to bore readers by being too transparent, but simply state we have had our share of the “worst” days spoken of in the marriage vow. Every marriage does. We have had our “poorer” days noted in the vow. Days when I made $35 a week. Days when we lost all of our limited savings, as in 1974.

If worked at the “worst” and “poorer” days draw couples closer together as much as the “better” and “richer” days.

Historically, when the Romans first invaded England they were repelled. The next time they came, the British watched as they came ashore and burned their boats. The Brits knew this time the Romans came committed to staying.

Trudy burned her “boats” before she came down that aisle. I burned mine before I greeted her at the altar and we committed ourselves to one another. For me that was a transitional day, a great day.

The Rev. Dr. Nelson Price is pastor emeritus of Roswell Street Baptist Church. Contact Price at nlprice@aol.com.