6 Years!

On a gorgeous early fall day 6 years ago Aaron and I stood in front of our friends and family and made our vows to love, honor, and cherish each other for the rest of our lives. It was a wonderful day, and thanks to my mom's wise advice to live in each moment I have so many memories of that day. I remember how nervous I was before mom brought Aaron to see me - would he like the dress? would he think I was beautiful? I remember how we laughed when dad and Steve walked into the church wearing the exact same suit, bought in different countries (they didn't want to wear tuxes because they wanted to be individual and original). I remember walking down the aisle toward Aaron and seeing the faces of everyone who came to show their love for us. I remember Aaron stooping to tenderly kiss my hand before kissing me. And yes, I remember our "decorated" car.

On that day the verse we chose was
May God be gracious to us and bless us
and make His face shine upon us
that your ways may be known on earth,
your salvation among the nations. -Ps. 67:1,2
We chose that verse because we didn't want our wedding or our marriage to be just about us, but to be about showing Jesus to the world around us.

The past 6 years have held a lot of change for us. Aaron graduated from Covenant, started working at DFCS and started grad school. I quit my job at DFCS to start Mercy's Chosen Children. We bought a house. We got a dog. We had Jeremiah. Through all of the changes in our circumstances we have grown and changed. Aaron has taught me the value of patience and quiet strength. I think I have taught him the value of strong opinions and confrontation. We are still growing and there is still much I have to learn about loving my husband unconditionally and fully.

I am so thankful for Aaron. He is a true gift to me. He is the exact opposite of me: patient, gentle, loving, calm, unmaterialistic, selfless, hard working. He shows me every day what it means to be loved unconditionally.

One of my favorite quotes about love and marriage is from CS Lewis:
Love as distinct from "being in love" is not merely a feeling. It is a deep unity, maintained by the will and deliberately strengthened by habit; reinforced by (in Christian marriages) the grace which both partners ask, and receive, from Go. They can have this love for each other even at those moments when they do not like each other; as you love yourself even when you do not like yourself. They can retain this love even when each would easily, if they allowed themselves, be "in love" with someone else. "Being in love" first moved them to promise fidelity: this quiet love enables them to keep the promise. It is on this love that the engine of marriage is run: being in love was the explosion that started it.

I am so thankful that God's grace, not our action, binds us together and gives me what I need to love my husband more and more as each year progresses.
God has been faithful and I look with joy and anticipation to the years we have ahead of us.