Marriage

In honor of my thirteenth wedding anniversary, I wanted to write something about the blessing of marriage. But, as I sit here, thinking about marriage, here’s what keeps going through my head:

“Mawage. Mawage is what brings us together today. Mawage, that bwessed awangement, that dweam wifin a dweam… and wuv, twu wuv, will fowow you foweva. So tweasure your wuv…”

If you don’t recognize that quote, check out this clip from the movie “The Princess Bride” and then you’ll understand. Thinking about those words always makes me laugh, but I realized as I was writing them down that there’s actually some truth there.

1. Marriage is a blessed arrangement. God ordained it from the beginning when he created Eve as a helpmate for Adam.

2. Marriage requires you to treasure your love. Treasure here is a verb. It means “to keep or regard as precious; to value highly; appreciate; cherish.” The covenant love between a husband and wife is something that must be protected at all cost. It takes work. It doesn’t just happen.

3. Marriage is a dream come true. I had almost given up on that dream, but God had a crazy plan for my life that ultimately led me to my one true love. After thirteen years, I’m still amazed that I’ve been given the privilege of living the dream.

In preparation for this great adventure called marriage, we spent a lot of time thinking about the words that would be spoken at our wedding ceremony. I have the words written down in a scrapbook so that I can remind myself of what we promised to each other and what is required to maintain a strong marriage.

The following words from our ceremony still serve both to challenge me and to encourage me in the journey:

Christian marriage is not living merely for each other; it is two individuals uniting and joining hands to serve God. Let me charge you both to remember that your future happiness is to be found in mutual consideration, patience, kindness, confidence, and affection. It is the duty of each to find the greatest joy in the company of the other and to remember that in interest as in affection you are to be henceforth one and undivided. When life is done, may you be found then as now, hand in hand, still thanking God for each other. May you ever serve Him happily and faithfully together until you return to glory or until at last one shall lay the other into His arms.

So, today, I am thankful for the blessed arrangement of marriage. I am thankful for my wonderful husband whom I adore. I am thankful that God brought us together. And, I am thankful that I truly do find my greatest joy in the company of my husband. I am thankful for the past thirteen years and I look forward to many more wonderful years to come.

I love you, honey! Happy Anniversary!

"Many waters cannot quench love; rivers cannot wash it away..." - Song of Solomon 8:7