Wednesday, May 28, 2008

Happy 25th Wedding Anniversary Nancy

Today Nancy and I share our 25th wedding anniversary. Reflecting back I don't think we really know what love is when we get married. We think we do, but with 50% of marriages ending in divorce, both in and out of the church, I believe the statistics prove me to be on target.

Marriage is hard, even the good ones. You have to be willing to serve your spouse and place their needs above your own. It's about placing them and their needs ahead of your own. When we do this, life is much easier. When we got married we made a verbal contract to each other (and more importantly to God) that the only thing that would separate us would be death. We also agreed to never use the "D" word, divorce. In doing this, divorce was never an option to be considered. 25 years later, Nancy and I are not only married, but best friends as well. Has it been easy? No, not always and having a disable child didn't make it any easier.

Here's what I've learned:
To be fair I can't say we did it alone. We had help in a big way. You see, we have Christ walking with us every day and He guides us by His Holy Spirit. I'm not talking about some religious duty, I'm talking about a personal relationship with the Creator of all things. Placing God first in our lives has set our priorities for us and it's been a wonderful blessing. If we are not at peace with God, we will not be at peace with others. Said another way, it's hard to talk to God if sin is in our life. It's also hard to talk to your spouse in a peaceful manner if you've angered them or are upset yourself. If you talk to your partner in a demeaning or disrespectful manner, I encourage you to stop. Instead, say you are sorry, then let the healing begin.

So, looking back, has it been worth it? You bet!!!
I couldn't ask ask for a better best friend and wife.

Happy Anniversary my Love.

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