Time in a Bottle - Thoughts on Marriage

Five years ago this day, Jesse and I said "we do" to a covenant of marriage. I don't know anyone who doesn't look back and wonder how the time passed by so quickly. But I begin to think of time, not so much in hours and days, but in the change that takes place in each of us. In the quality of life and the growth that comes from it. Marriage is the sanctifying gift God has given us which allows a taste of His holiness. In view of this greatness, marriage demands growth and will settle for nothing less. And I believe the more we embrace it and work at becoming who God wants us to be, the greater the marriage. God has put us together for a purpose and as we strive to be obedient to that, God is pleased.
I am overwhelmed by the reality of how much I am loved. It is true, real, honest, and tough. And I know this because it is not flashy or vain, but deeply rooted and established in God's word. Jesse's love for me does not waver or change like the seasons. And it shows itself in the uncountable ways of daily living. One of the deepest human desires God gives us is to know and be known. This can only humanly be met in marriage. As I sit here, drinking my coffee, watching the sun illuminate the quaint garden around me, and I breathe in a new day - I can see how well I am known by another. I needed this time and Jesse knew that even more than I did myself. And he gave me this gift of time, not just in hours, but in quality of life. To take a break, breathe in deeply, have a moment to collect my thoughts and meditate on God's goodness in my life and family. There's something so comforting about being known that well.
"Affection almost slinks or seeps through our lives. It lives with humble un-dress, private things; soft slippers, old clothes, old jokes, the thump of a sleepy dog's tail on the kitchen floor, the sound of a sewing machine, a gollywog left on the lawn." C.S.Lewis