Our 15th Anniversary!

Wow! Where does the time go? It hardly seems possible 15 years have passed since we pledged our life to one another!

I spent some time today reflecting back over these years. We have certainly had our share of ups and downs. If I had known all we would face, I might have been tempted to run the other way, but I am so glad I didn't. It reminds me of a line in Garth Brook's "The Dance".... I could have missed the pain, but I'd have to have missed the dance.

God has been so faithful to us. In hindsight, I see things that we were strenghtened by things that have torn others apart. For both of us, divorce has never been an option. In the beginning, I thought I will never divorce. As we have matured, we have realized that we must take care to nurture and protect our relationship, otherwise we might cross that thin line and our marriage be a statistic.

Fifteen years ago today we pledged "I accept you as God's gift to me." And, oh, what a precious gift I was given in J! He is my rock, yet he is as gentle as a dove. He is never demanding, but quick to come to my aid. He takes interest in my interest and loves to shop with me. Does he have faults? You bet, but they are not worth mentioning. In short, he is my very best friend.

What have these years taught me? Love is a choice - not a feeling! I certainly don't wake up with a warm fuzzy loving feeling, but I choose to love J, everyday. Certainly there are days when I would rather hurt him than love him, but I don't. I choose love.

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

1 Corinthians 13:4-7; 13