September 15th was our two year anniversary. Two years ago I walked down the aisle towards my best friend, and that afternoon we promised our lives to one another in front of our friends, family and ultimately God. It was on that day that we made a covenant to stay together until death parts us, no matter what life throws our way. As I spent the majority of our anniversary at home looking after our Son I had a lot of time to think of what a day like this really means. I spent a lot of time thinking about those vows that we took that day, and how important it really is to remind myself regularly of what I promised to my husband on that day. Those things that I vowed are very serious promises, and although on our wedding day they were very easy to make, they aren't always the easiest promises to keep. For Christmas last year Michael got me our vows printed off and framed, they sit on our dresser in our bedroom and so many times since then they have been such a humbling reminder to me of those promises I made. Unfortunately, we live in a world where those promises that so many people make to their spouses on their wedding day really don't mean anything, and so many marriages end in divorce. Not only in secular homes, but divorce is also so prevalent in the church today. We vowed to one another that divorce isn't even an option, and that no matter how difficult life gets we will fight for one another and choose to love each other on a daily basis. A promise we can't live out without God being the center of our relationship, without his grace and mercy and his strength equipping us daily.
I also spent some time thinking about this worlds views love. How I used to view love. Love is a fairy tale, right? It's falling in love, butterflies in your tummy, romantic dates, flowers and love notes. Wrong. Don't get me wrong, these things do happen in marriage, sometimes. But love, real love is SO much more than that, and so much more satisfying than those other things. Real love is full of mercy and grace. It's forgiveness and sacrifices. It's choosing to love the person your married to every day, despite there down falls and mistakes. It's supporting them in their God given role, and in the gifts that he has given them. That...is real love, because truthfully marriage consists of two very sinful people. Two sinful people who need God's help daily to love each other the way that he desires them too. Real love is a mirror of the way that our Heavenly Father loves his children. On our wedding day Michael and I chose 1 John 4:19 to be the theme of our day: "We love because He first loved us." We can't love each other the way we're supposed to, the way we both desire to be loved with out Christ first giving us that love. We are only able to love each other the way that we do because we are loved perfectly first from the only person who is the perfect example of real love. A person who gave up his own life so that we might live. A person so full of grace and mercy, and a forgiveness that we don't deserve. A person who came to this world not be served but to serve others. A person who is the perfect example of what marriage and real love is supposed to be like. I know that I will never love my husband perfectly the way that Christ loves me, but through Christ I sure can try!
No marriage isn't easy, but that's what the promise is for.
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