Upcoming Anniversary

This coming Tuesday is my 10th year wedding anniversary! I can't hardly believe Barry and I have been married that long already. We're going out of town tomorrow for a few days to celebrate. It should be a real romantic get-away for the two of us, and I'm really excited about it! Ten years is a big deal, especially for us. There were many times when we both doubted we would last this long, but now - my husband is the love of my life, second only to Christ in my heart, and I can't imagine my life without him.

You know how people go through times of trial, suffering, or persecution as a refining tool God uses to mold us more into the image of Christ? For some it may be a physical weakness or sickness, or financial struggles or loss; for others it may be an addiction or sin they have to fight to over come; or for some, it may be flat out maltreatment they have to endure for the name of Jesus. For me... it's been marriage. My husband and I are just about polar opposites in everything - our backgrounds, our personalities, our dreams, our attractions, our interests, our callings, even our goals. For a majority of our marriage, we were hardly ever on the same page at the same time about anything and we drove each other crazy. We were horrible communicators with each other and had major intimacy issues. Beyond disappointment, it was a long period of continuous heartbreak. Over the years, the only thing we both really ever had was a commitment to our wedding vows that held us together. The first six or seven years in particular were so rough that I had to read and re-read Malachi 2:16 in God's Word "... I hate divorce," says the LORD, the God of Israel..." just about every day, pray and seek God's hand of mercy, and trust that He would intervene and bring unity and joy to my marriage. I believe in the three "A's" only being Godly justification for divorce: adultery, abuse, & abandonment. But none of these three were being committed in our marriage - therefore we made a promise for better and for worse and we were sticking to it no matter how miserable we were!

And now I'm so glad we stuck to it, because God did intervene. God is so faithful! For the past three or four years, our marriage has been getting better and better every day. Now I can boldly say that we have a really good marriage and I know that someday soon we'll have a great marriage, and eventually even one of the best marriages - because God is working in and through us as a couple everyday. I think of it as "iron sharpening iron" - God's way to sculpt us more into the image of Christ. The more we move closer to God, the more we will move closer together, and reflect His glory in our unity. The more we are committed to honoring Him, the more we are blessed with each other, despite the differences. It's been a long road to get us to where we are now - and I'm thankful for every bit of it - because through my husband, God has shaved a lot of junk off of me, and vice versa for him. We are totally different people now than when we were first married - and thank God for that! Marriage is work; it's a laying down your life to someone else, whether they deserve it or not, whether you feel like it or not - but the rewards that follow are so worth it!

My husband has grown so much in the past few years, as a man in Christ, and as a husband. He continues to grow and change, which impresses me the most. Not only has he become my best friend, but we are learning how to be true lovers as time goes by. This Tuesday marks a mile stone in our journey through life together. May it be only the beginning of a lifetime of milestones of growing closer together! To my husband:
I love you! Happy Anniversary Babe!