One Birmingham-area couple celebrated their 70th anniversary this past week. The secret ingredient to their lasting love? Faith.

CBS 42 reported that Arthur and Bernice Lewis met in Lowndes County over 73 years ago.

However, Bernice, 86, told the TV station that it was not love at first sight.

In fact, she said she did not even like Arthur at first.

Arthur, 93, explained that when friends introduced the couple originally, they claimed that she did like him.

Regardless, after he continued to spend time with Bernice, she not only started liking him, they eventually fell in love — for a lifetime.

The couple, who now live in Pratt City, married on September 28, 1949.

Arthur advised that Bernice had become his best friend by that point.

He remarked, “To have a good best friend, I don’t think you can beat that.”

Their story is indeed unbeatable.

Arthur is a veteran of the United States Navy and Bernice is a former nurse.

They subsequently had five children — four daughters and a son — and have lived in their current home for 65 years.

The couple shared their secrets that led to this strong marriage of seven decades and counting.

Arthur told CBS 42, “You gon’ have to give sometimes. You ain’t gon’ be right all the time.”

Bernice emphasized that it is all about faith in God.

“I was taught to believe in prayer. Whatever, I needed, I went to the Lord first, and that gave me strength,” she concluded.

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Sean Ross is the editor of Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @sean_yhn