The First Five Years

Five years, tomorrow.

Has it really been that long? I spent some downtime today thinking and really marveling at the last five years. Man, it's amazing. However, the product of our last five years is being a little demanding tonight (not really, but you know) so you're stuck with what I cobbled together at work.

In celebration of our fifth anniversary ... Reflections on Our First Five Years...

What strikes me most is how easy marriage seems to be for us. Not that stuff doesn't happen -- bad, really bad, good, some pretty great stuff, too -- but the marriage part just seems so easy. A real partnership, you know? Maybe we're not doing it right, if it seems easy to me. But maybe we got something right, after all. Who knows?

I really think forgiveness is key. So it accepting the other person and their flaws, but what's necessary is taking it a step further and loving that person and their flaws, not despite them. I've said before (and passed on to other soon-to-be-married couples) the best advice I ever got about marriage is this: Love is a daily decision. It's not just a warm, fuzzy feeling -- though it can be that. It's also not blind devotion. It's a daily, conscious decision that starts with warm, tingly feelings that (God willing) matures into a mutual, respectful bond that strengthens us individually and together. I'm strong without him, but I'm stronger with him.

And who do we have to thank for all this? The all-knowing, all-loving God above, who knew us before we were born, who knit us in our mothers' wombs and brought us together because we could perfect one another. It's stunning, really. The hand of God is so evident in our lives that worrying about the future just seems silly. That doesn't keep us from worrying, though. We are human after all. But our trust in the Lord and our trust in each other is what keeps us faithful, in all aspects of life.