22 Years of Marriage

"You're such a good team," said the woman I am just beginning to get to know this week when she was watching my husband and me taking care of and loving on our girls. We are at Gull Lake Ministries this week for a week of renewal, and each year we come, it is such a tremendous blessing to our family. Recently, this incredible man of mine and I celebrated 22 years of marriage, and this life is so much more full than we ever imagined or planned for. When we committed to each other all those years ago, surrendering our lives to the Lord this fully was not in our plans. We were fine with keeping God on the outskirts, attending church eventually, and living moral lives because that is what good people do, but what we didn't bank on was how radically life would change when we personally encountered Jesus, and gave our lives to Him. Every inch of my heart is changed. The way I love my man, serve my family, spend my money, devote my time....all so much different than what I dreamed when planning out this life. Though I am still a sinful and selfish woman, God draws me nearer everyday with His love, Grace, mercy, and forgiveness because that's what He does when you belong to Him. He has elevated my marriage, invited me to join Him serving the orphan through adoption, and blessed me beyond measure even as I face trials of every kind. Twenty two years ago, I would have never guessed I'd end up here...a pastor's wife, a mom to four Chinese daughters with special needs, a mom to a college age daughter attending bible college, expecting to deliver another biological baby..a son..ten weeks from now, and a lover of Jesus and His word. So after all these years, we have become a solidified team...put together to serve the Lord in this life, and, while trials are hard, life is so good...so much more than I hoped for. Today I give thanks for 22 years of marriage , but mostly that God knit our hearts together with His because having the Lord as the center of our lives , though we never planned it this way, makes every moment of life worth living. I can't wait to see what God puts before us in the next twenty-two years as I can't imagine loving my man more. Here is to twenty-two crazy, life changing years serving the Lord together. My hope is that we will have many, many more adventures for Him to come.