“Many waters cannot quench love, neither can floods drown it.” Song of Songs 8:7
Today is our fifth anniversary. Two people who most had written off would never get married are celebrating the first 1826 days of their life together. (Can’t forget that extra day we had thanks to leap year.)
I was 41 years old when we met, just a month shy of 43 when we married. Neither of us have been married before. Neither of us had children. An anomaly. No one thought either of us would marry. I’m sure if you asked our family and friends, if they were honest, they would give you a list of reasons why that would be true.
They would of been wrong. They didn’t take into account the God factor.
God’s timing is always perfect. I can say with complete confidence if I had met Ron one day earlier than I did, it wouldn’t of been perfect. It wouldn’t of been on a tennis court, on a beautiful fall evening. He wouldn’t of taken my breath away quite like he did. Not if it had been even one day earlier.
If I hadn’t waited through my thirties. If I hadn’t worked on who I was and the issues I had, I wouldn’t of been ready for the love we share. I wouldn’t have been able to receive the love Ron has for me. I wouldn’t of been able to give him the love I have for him. I needed to let God into all of those place, shine His light on all of those past hurts and heal me. I had to understand who I was in Christ before I could become who God had created me to be, Ron’s wife.
Every day God gives us together reminds me of how intricately God is intertwined in our lives.
“Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.” Ecclesiastes 4:12
From our happiest days, to our saddest, God is a part of them all. I love thinking about how we listened to a series on marriage on our honeymoon. I joke our first marriage counseling was the doubles clinics we did that week. Ironically, playing tennis together is something that we can’t do anymore. Even more ironic since that’s how we met. We still are trying to figure out why that is?
On our saddest days, He’s there too. If I ever doubt God’s presence in my life I think about the day my beloved Cody died. He was the closest thing to a son I think I will ever have. That day, the day I received the dreadful call, Ron had walked in the door just five minutes earlier. That was God in our lives. Ron was there to hear my scream. He was there to drive me to the hospital. He was there to hold me in the depths of my grief. God knew that day was coming and he knew I would need Ron. I know, without a doubt, when we face our greatest fears, God is there to carry us through.
It is through the people he places in our lives. At the right times, the right moments, that He cares for us. It is why we should follow the promptings we have to reach out to someone, to pray for them, to be there for them. Those promptings are what leads to steps of faith. When we take them, we have no idea where they will lead. There is one thing I am sure of, I want to go where God leads me more than any other place.
It was a prompting that caused me to email Ron that first time. It was a step of faith that this time it would be different. It was one step after another that led our relationship, that tells our story. I love that we followed God’s plan for our lives. The memories we made are so vibrant, our story is so full of life.
I’m trusting God that this is just the beginning. I pray often He’ll give us forty more years together. I pray specifically that they will be happy, prosperous and healthy. I know there are no guarantees about tomorrow. I’m grateful for today.
I’m grateful for the first five, I’m hopeful for the next five. I’m thankful God created a man that is perfect for me. When I see his smile my heart skips. I am constantly amazed at his response to life, so different from mine. It is a gift. We do complement each other. His strengths are my weaknesses, mine his.
It takes work. It can be hard at times. I love even when I’m so mad at him I could spit, I still want to be with him. I’m thankful to have waited. I’m thankful I trusted. I’m grateful for every new day we receive. I’m grateful God is our third chord that cannot be easily broken.
Happy anniversary my Love! Praying for many more years together!
The First Five
