The Gift That Keeps On Giving

I'm thankful, spoiled and very blessed. I get to share life with the man of my dreams and the man of my prayers! And I have for 34 years - tomorrow! The older I get the more I think about what our relationship really means. I have loved, laughed, lost, cried, wanted to give up, been "done" but we always manage to persevere. How? Because there is three in this marriage and that is God. Oh, we tried it with just the two of us and it did not work!

The night of our wedding I do not remember thinking about my vows - I was just repeating words. What I do remember is that I took that vow before God and everyone at that candlelight service. Genesis 2: 24, "That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh." This covenant matters to God and He made it clear we put no one ahead of our spouse, except God!

That worked until that first baby was born and that was a challenge! I love my children unconditionally but there are some things Mike could do for things to be over. As my relationship with God grew, I was able to work on this. One day those babies will be leaving home and the two of you are left....alone. Mike and I always said we did not want to be that couple at a restaurant not talking. Thankfully, if you have been best friends then you will carry on and while you miss your kids, you enjoy your new time alone. Mike is much better than I am at keeping the romance alive. He is much better at communicating than I am - I'd rather write! He always tells me I am cherished and he sings to me, "you are the joy of my life."

Let's be real - there are days I would like to get on I-40 and keep on going and I know he feels the same way! There are days that no one could get on our nerves worse than each other whether it is the crunching of the cereal, constantly giving into the girls or the weaving when he drives! Marriages are tested! Again, if we are putting God first and growing in our relationship with Him, we know our spouse has received the same Spirit and the same grace that God has shown us as he has put up with a lot from us. Mike has shown me grace. One of the best things we do is pray together which took us years. We worship together and pray for each other. The closer we move toward God, the closer we move toward each other. It has become a lifestyle which helps us see our marriage through God's eyes and remember that it is a gift that keeps on giving as we grow old together! Happy anniversary, Mike!

"Marriage is a gift from God to us, the quality of our marriages is a gift from us to Him."