Today I am praising God for 15 years of marriage to my best friend, Jody. Daily I praise God for my husband. My marriage is far from perfect because we are not perfect, and we don't have to be, because Jesus has made us perfect through His sacrifice on the cross.
Do any of us remember what we were like in 1997? Wow, that was a long time ago! :) I was working as a waitress at Applebee's while looking for a job teaching, and still living at home with my parents. Jody and I were dating. We dated for 8 months, then got engaged and married 7 months later.
Jody and I were married 15 years ago today, so many things have changed since then. Throughout everything that a marriage brings, I never regretted that decision or that day once. God has blessed me with a man who loves God and loves me - in that order.
Long lasting marriages are rare today. Preserving marriages are ultra-rare. Now more than ever, I don't take us for granted.
It's not that we haven't had any trials. We've actually been through some really rough times. Losing both my parents, my mom to cancer and my Dad to heart disease, was a very hard time for both of us, both physically and emotionally. All of this and many other countless trials, while trying to raise our precious boys and have time for each other.
God has been incredibility gracious through all of our trials, reminding us of His great love for us and strengthening our love for each other.
Over the years, we have been blessed with so many wonderful friends, but we never forget that the friendship that deserves our highest attention is ours.
Today, many marriages don't make it 15 years. In fact, lots of people will go through 2-3 during that time. Jody and I take no pride in these years as we know our 15 are a testimony of God's grace shown to us. Without it, we would have wrecked this thing a long time ago.
Marriage is hard. Marriage takes work. It is a daily laying down of your life for another person, everyday, day in and day out, selflessly. A successful marriage comes to those with the fiercest determination to never give up.
What do think makes a lasting marriage?
First and foremost, I think a lasting marriage takes a Christ-centered marriage, forgiveness, humility, and determination to stick it out.
In marriage, God uses our differences to complete us. He brought us together to balance us out, to fill in the gaps, to sharpen us and make us better than we were.
You know there's nothing really remarkable about love at first sight. It's the people who can look at each other year after year, after year and still love each other, now that's remarkable...And it's only because of Him...the sustainer of EVERYTHING!
Thank you God! You gave me a good, godly, very handsome, kind man...all wrapped up in one package.
I didn't know marriage could be so beautiful!
In His Magnificent Grace,
Dalinda
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