The Ten Years

Earlier this month Adam and I celebrated ten years of marriage. Ten whole years. A decade. 

Sometimes I think how normal and sometimes boring our little love story is. Two people who met through mutual friends. Dated. Did grad school and  internships. Got engaged. Had a beautiful wedding. Amazing honeymoon. New jobs and a rental house. A Golden Retriever to keep the baby fever at bay. A surprise pregnancy and a new mortgage. A second baby and new jobs. A decade come and gone. All very normal and middle America. 

But really it is extraordinary. As I look around me and scroll through Facebook or innocently overhear conversations in restaurants(never eavesdropping, ;) )I realize that our normal everyday romance is a beautiful and rare love story in a fallen world where purity and faithfulness are falling to the way side. Commitment is hard. I have recommitted to diet and exercise five time already in 2015. Honoring your spouse and loving him or her in a day and age of instant gratification and a disposalable everything society is not a cake walk. Staying together is worthy of celebrating! But loving each other even more than we did that day in 2005.... That is an extraordinary blessing from God our Father. Our lives may not be what we had pictured while sharing that first dance, but in many ways I think it is better. Adam has seen all sides of me and yet he still looks at me with admiration and desire. He knows my biggest hang ups and struggles and inner hurts I hide from the world and yet he still chooses to rescue me out of my dark places and self pity. He knows what I want to be and doesn't laugh but holds my hand as I strive to be better. 

I don't have to wonder where I stand with him, he loves me like Jesus does. Unconditional. And I am blessed to know it in my heart. And so we celebrate ten normal ordinary years and we recommit to ten more and then ten more and then ten more and hopefully more. And then when we both stand before our Father I hope He tells us both well done. You loved each other well. You sharpened each other and brought each other closer to Me. You encouraged other couples in a world bent on making marriage hard. You reflected my love to the world. You lived out the extraordinary love story I alone wrote for you. 

To celebrate Adam spoiled me on our actual anniversary with flowers and love notes and yummy treats all throughout the day. We held out for the weekend for a fancy dinner, sleeping in and a movie date. Adam also gave me a ring(which I get to pick out myself, he is learning ;) ) and I had our wedding video that we thought was lost on a DVD and transcribed our vows we wrote for each other. A dear friend is lettering those for us to frame and we renewed those vows with our Pastor at Calvary. (Stealing or borrowing that idea from dear friends!). Over Spring Break we are hoping to steal away for a little trip for a few days. Still can't believe we are this old! 

Father, 

Thank you for Adam. Thank you for our ordinary love story and that it doesn't stop on the day of the wedding but continues to be written everyday. I know I am blessed to be loved so completely just for being me and fumbling through this life we built together. Help me to honor the promises I made to him. Help me to encourage and build him up. Help me to love him as well as he loves me. Let me not take him for granted but to cherish him for just how wonderful he is! I know with You at the helm we can make our beautiful love story last many more decades. 

Amen