Marriage

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Twenty Octobers ago I said, “I do”.

My memories of that autumn day in 1992 are somewhat sparse. Of course, I remember plenty, but, now…now those memories seem more like puzzle pieces of scenes and feelings. A puzzle that’s grown to include many more pieces than when we began. I definitely remember my groom…He’s still my “favorite”.

Despite the fact that a bustling wedding story was taking place, there was a peaceful calm in the air that morning. Butterflies danced among the flowers, trickling water whispered in the fountain—as if all of nature were guests at our wedding. So many sweet memories of yesteryear.

Oh, those kids in those memories; that twenty-something bride and groom, too naive to know that time would be so relentless. Young enough to think that only "old" people were married for twenty years. Hmmm.

Well, we certainly aren’t old, but we are older. And usually wiser. I would have thought that by this time, we’d be in a quieter, slower-paced season. Not so. These boys and their schedules keep us busier than we’ve ever been. But blessed. So blessed.

“Unless the LORD builds the house, its builders labor in vain.” God has had that verse on my heart for several months now. (Psalm 127:1). It’s so applicable to so many areas of life, but when I think about it in the context of marriage…it rings altogether true.

Of course, like any marriage, there have been times when we’ve labored in vain, spinning our wheels, getting nowhere as we’ve tried to build this house without the authority to do so. Mercifully, there have also been plenty of times, over the years, when we’ve deferred to God, and He has blessed.

We have a fun little first-date tradition – our annual Labor Day “date-a-versary”. This year was our 25th year of miniature golf on Labor Day. Twenty-five? The hands of time are so impatient, swiftly spinning along...ever so slyly trapping today into yesterday. Back in 1988, we never knew that our random choice to play Putt-Putt would become a longstanding tradition for our family. Since God is a God who likes tradition, I like to think that, maybe, He smiles at this charming little tradition of ours.

Twenty-five years of date-a-versaries. Twenty years of marriage. Three children who hung the moon. Lots of laughs, and tears… joys, and heartaches—all while living under an inexplicable favor of God, blessed beyond measure. There have been lean times and there have been times of plenty, and in both - He’s been the Source that’s sustained us.

I don’t recall what the future looked like in the mind’s eye of that young bride, but I’m certain that she had no idea how fleeting 20 years would be.

May the Builder of this house continue to be so generous, and so faithful—and may we never forget that all of the glory belongs to Him.

Twenty Octobers later—I still do.



Note: written two years ago.

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