Happy 8 years to us!
Today is our anniversary. I’ve been thinking a lot lately about love, specifically love in marriage. What do I want our love to look like? When it’s all said and done, what is the most important part of how we loved? I really think that, for me, it comes down to this: I want us to be grace-extenders, taking each other as we are. And I want us to cling to each other. Tightly. I often wonder if we should try to “sharpen” each other more than we do; whether there should be more “exhortation” than there is…
For me, it becomes very easy to think that it is my job to sanctify my husband. That is not my job. That is the Holy Spirit’s job.
And the truth is that over these past 8 years, God has taken over my heart more than I ever saw coming. He has changed me and I know peace like I never have. And this has happened while married to the greatest giver-of-grace that I have known. I don’t know that I would have grown more, or come to know God more deeply if my husband had been pointing out to me what he thinks could be improved.
He loves me as I am and God works me from the inside out. To me, that feels right.
It’s easy to find things in each other that we wish were different, or that we think should be different. And maybe they should… but that is not my job.
So I’ve decided that this is what I want for us: to love and to cling.
Love is patient, love is kind.
It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.
It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.
Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.
It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
ICor. 13