Most people know we spent that time in Savannah, GA together. We explored the historic city, stayed in the nicest room at the beautiful Keyhoe House Bed and Breakfast, and had delicious food and wine. Best of all, the dessert at LuLu's Chocolate Bar! Chocolatinis and a place named LuLu's ?! (That is my nickname...well...one of them...) Favorite memory is finishing our dinner and dessert and running back to our room...I had to ditch my heels...and going out onto our balcony with a bottle of champagne and our white bath robes in the dark to wait for the many ghost tours that came by. Oh...our B&B was "haunted!" We would wait until the ghost story had a good start, then Eric would let out a loud blood curdling screech, and I would crouch over the balcony in the white robe. So many amazing reactions from the groups...laughter, screams, and wild facial/body expressions. But my favorite reaction of all to see was the huge smile on my sweet husband's face...just totally having a good time and so happy. That is all I ever want..his happiness.
So we came home from our trip, and we looked through our beautiful wedding album and shared our cake and wine. It was special and lovely and a dream come true!
But, the anniversary is only part of it. The marriage itself that God gave us... that God designed, the prayers that God answered for both of us....is just so precious. My prayer life has changed since I was single. I used to pray for my "husband"....whoever he was...I would pray that he was happy, doing well, and that he was turning to God for all of his decisions...I prayed that God would keep him on God's path for his life. I used to even get these spiritual pangs that "husband" was having a rough day or a rough time...and I would drop right there and pray...sometimes God would wake me up at 2, 3, or 4 AM and just call on me to pray for my "husband." When I did finally meet this man who would be my husband, I learned of all he had going on in his life just prior to us meeting. And while I won't share that...most people know, and those who do not, that is Eric's testimony to share. It is a beautiful and redeeming story of how God's will will always be done. God is so sovereign and mighty. I know Eric prayed for a wife who would truly love him to his core and for all that he is unconditionally, who would love God, and who would be his closest companion. And praise God, over three years ago, God brought these two longing hearts to the person that was meant to love them. but so much more than that...to the person who when joined together with them, God would be so greatly glorified. And that was always God's will and God's plan.
So now, my prayers have changed, and I constantly pray for the well being, joy, safety of my husband, but I pray constantly that God would be glorified through our love, that our love would be at least a small example of what God intended for love and marriage and the way God loves His children. Eric and I are two imperfect people. We are two totally different personalities. And we both seek God to be the head over us individually and the head over us as a couple.
When we said "I do"... we were also making vows to God..primarily to God to honor His plan for marriage. It has made our marriage soooo incredibly and possibly almost inhumanely happy! We put God first, or always try to...we are still human and can get caught up in the world, but God is our focus...and when you love God more than your spouse, you reflect the fruits of the Spirit, and you reflect them onto the person you love most on earth. Which makes a beautiful triangle marriage of love.
I am so thankful the past more than a year has been so blessed. Most people say the first year of marriage is the hardest...that you figure out all these things about each other and it wasn't what you were expecting. I have only felt that praise God and by God's grace, Eric and I grew so much closer together, trust grew deeper, respect grew deeper, and the desire to be with one another only intensified. I love him way more now than I did the day we said I do. And Praise God.
And for those people who say things like, "Oh just give it ten years...." First of all...I feel sorry for them. I am sorry that their marriages are obviously not on fire; that is truly sad....but I cannot stand for people to make such comments to me. If everybody knew and understood how passionate I am for the love of my husband, how badly I yearned and patiently waited for God to bring him to me.....I am not going to just suddenly take him for granted and stop desiring him or appreciating him! God is the heat of this marriage. And I can promise you now, truly 100% confident promise you that our marriage in 10+ years will only grow deeper and better. I'm only ever going to desire him more! He is my best friend and he loves Jesus. And God is our potting soil, our water, our lungs, our heart, our soul, our spirit, our everything. Honor and Glory to god forever and ever! That is the only way this marriage can be everything we desire it to be. God is the key ingredient.
Here's to 100 more years baby doll! I love you sooo much! Thank you for selfless, precious, gentle, passionate love!
