Reflecting On Marriage – Nine Years Later

Today is a special day for Tim and me. Nine years ago today we said, “I do!” And by God’s grace, we are still saying it, throughout the sunshine and the storms of life.

Before I was a bride, I sniffled and got teary-eyed at weddings. My heart cried out, “I want that!” Now I cry at weddings because I know what they are heading into: God’s most sanctifying relationship. Whether married or single, our loving and gracious Father God appoints sanctifiers (people or things that help us to grow into the people God wants us to be): children or lack of children, jobs, pets, disappointment, financial strain, loneliness (for marrieds and singles), stress, illness, painful relationships, death, and plain old heartache.

I am thankful that I married Tim. Since our wedding I have grown and changed so much that I hardly recognize myself. And this is a very good thing.

Here is a short list of some things I’ve learned since our wedding day:

Only God can meet our deepest longings. Only God never disappoints.
Tim and I are very different, and that’s a blessing. We are happiest when we appreciate and respect our differences.
I cannot change my husband, nor should I even try. The best thing to do is take it to the Lord.
Tim is my best friend – not always in the warm-fuzzy sense of the word, but in the reality of faithfulness and always being there for me. As I am for him.
If I want to be close to Tim, I need to be close to the Lord.
I married a godly man who has a lot of wisdom to offer – I only need to ask!
Sometimes married women are envious of single women.
If you survive the yucky stuff, the treasures are well worth the perseverance and hard work.
There is nothing better than serving God together as a husband and wife team, and then as a family.
God is honored by a godly marriage – it is a living picture of His love for us.

I praise God for my marriage. And I testify that in God’s will and timing, marriage is a very, very good thing.