Happy 38th to Us!
Congratulations to us! ❤️ 38 years of marriage today!
Happy Anniversary, Jamie! 🎉
I appreciate all that you do. I don't say it often enough, but I see how hard you work at your job and at home. I see all the ways you try to make life fun, comfortable, and enjoyable, not just for me but for our entire circle of family and friends. I'm especially thankful to you this year for shouldering financial responsibilities and allowing me to develop my writing skills. I'm looking forward to celebrating us today and in many more joy-filled years to come.
Last year, I wrote this devotional piece for Hope*Books in anticipation of our 38th anniversary. It feels special to share it on the actual day (September 3rd). It is featured in A Year of Hope, which you can find on the blog.
❤️ ❤️ ❤️
Perfect Love
I breathe in the sweet cinnamon aroma of the warm apple pie as I slide it out of the oven and onto the stovetop. On the counter, there are candles shaped like the numbers three and eight, which will top the celebratory pie later this evening - thirty-eight years of marriage. Apple pie remains his favorite, so I've chosen it instead of cake.
After many years of marriage, we sometimes need to put in a little extra effort. We have had bills to pay and children to raise through good times and bad, in richer and poorer, and in sickness and health. I laugh when I read the old traditional wedding vows because they never mention exhaustion, frustration, emotional meltdowns, or the need for forgiveness. ❤️
As humans, over the years of marriage, we will likely let each other down - unmet expectations, crossed boundaries, or forgotten commitments. We will mess up, but with God's grace and our commitment to follow Christ's example of compassion, kindness, and forgiveness, our relationships can withstand the test of time and deepen into an unbreakable bond.
I'm grateful for the years we've shared and the lessons we've learned. The comfort and trust we have in each other bring me joy. Kindness and compassion in my husband's and my hearts don't always come naturally - if you've been married for any length of time, you understand. Life gets messy sometimes, but because our core beliefs are rooted in the idea that we should model the love God showed us, we are guided to show love even when - especially when - we don't feel like it.
God's love is unmatched. It surpasses any love you could ever feel for someone else. He loves us perfectly because Jesus bore our sin debt, making forgiveness possible and, in turn, perfected love.
