I sat down to write this blog a few times, but I had to stop because I began to cry each time. (Imagine that. LOL) I began to remember how we started, where we have been, what we have gone through, and where we are now. I can't help, but to be filled, with so many different emotions at one time.
Psalms 116:6, "The Lord protects the simple hearted, when I was in great need, he saved me."
I won't bore you with the story of how we met, and how we "courted", as my great grandmother would say. I will only tell you, that I chased him like a blood hound, on the trail of the fresh scent of a rabbit. It worked. I got my rabbit. We were both, at a point in our lives, that we needed rescuing. God knew that we needed one another and allowed our love for each other to heal brokenness. We were young and in love. Very young. During that time in our lives, all we could see was the love in eachother's eyes, and the hope in our hearts, of having a wonderful life together. Life would soon prove itself to us, in ways that we could not have imagined. Our life together has never been perfect, but thanks to God, we are a work in progress. We have experienced many joys in our lives, along with many tragedies. We have been hurt by one another, on more than one occasion. But, our love for eachother would prove to bring great healing as well. We have dropped to our knees in prayer for one another, and at other times, we have watched each other walk away. We have cried together and laughed together. We have celebrated life together and mourned death together. We have experienced life...together.
II Corinthians 4:17, "For our present troubles are small and won't last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly out weighs them and will last forever."
I will never forget an older couple that I watched, being interviewed on Oprah, a few years back. They were celebrating their 60th wedding anniversary. After Oprah had interviewed the wife for a few moments, she turned to the husband and asked him, "What do you think helped you stay married to your wife for 60 years?" He paused for a moment, looked at his wife, and replied, "As soon as I fell in love with my wife, I died to myself." I thought it was one of the most romantic and selfless things I had ever heard anyone say. I find it interesting, that he never said "she". He never spoke of "her" dieing to herself. I think it was because...he wasn't worried about the receiving end, only the giving. When both people give, there's no worry about receiving, because your both too busy giving. That's what it's all about. The giving. Frankie and I weren't always givers. I took. He took. We both give now. Giving works wonders. I think we will stick with giving.
Acts 20:35, "It is more blessed to give than to receive."
I just turned thirty eight years old. We have been married nineteen years now. That's half of my life. It's funny how...the first nineteen years don't stand out like the second nineteen have. I believe it's because, when I married Frankie...that's when my life began. Marrying him allowed me to become someone's wife and eventually someone's mother. My entire identity changed. It was no longer just about me. It was about "us". Life just didn't make sense until I became his wife. Frankie is by far, one of the most genuine people that I know. His heart is as big as the sun! When he loves, he loves with all that he has. He is passionate about every aspect of our life together. He is dedicated and caring. At times I have told him that he is too nice, but the truth is, it's just that his heart is so big. He has been my friend, my confident, my provider, my security, and my prayer partner. He takes me as I am. All my quirks, my sassy moods, my outrageous laugh, my flaws and my fears. He can absolutely drive me crazy, but at the same time, he can make me laugh hysterically. He is my greatest supporter. He has encouraged me to keep going at times, when I felt I had nothing left to give. He is wise beyond his years, and he amazes me more and more every day. His work ethic is one that can only be admired. His dedication to our family, is something that I pray our children will mimic one day, when they have families of their own. He is determined to give us the best life possible, and I believe that he will. I couldn't be prouder to be his wife. He is a wonderful and caring father to all of our three children. He has a way with them, that I do not have. He offers support when they need it, a shoulder when they need a hug, and a prayer to keep it all in balance. I am blessed to be a witness, to the relationship that they all share. God allows me to see something new in Frankie every day, that causes me to love him even more. He is truly giving me the desires of my heart through my relationship with Frankie.
Isaiah 43:18, "Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland."
Frankie is my best friend. He is the peanut butter to my chocolate!! There is no one else on earth I would have wanted to face all of life's challenges, heartaches, and triumphs with. I have to give all the glory to God for our nineteen years together, because even when we gave up on one another, God never gave up on us. We have spent many years laughing, loving and growing with eachother. Life couldn't be better. Where our future will take us...God only knows, but I am happy to be by his side, walking hand in hand, for this journey called "our life". For all the moments that we've shared and all those yet to come, I am truly blessed. I thank God for him everyday. I believe, that at the very moment that God created me, he looked down at me and said, "I've picked out the perfect husband for you."
Thank you God!
Psalm 92:4, "For you make me glad by your deeds, O Lord, I sing for joy at the works of your hands."
Today, I celebrate...us.
**I love you Frankie. Thank you for giving me your love, your devotion, and your life. Happy Anniversary!**
Remember When by Alan Jackson
No comments:
Post a Comment