25

Twenty-five years ago today I married you, the love of my life. But it was eleven years before that when I spotted you across the field at Young Life weekend camp. I was seventeen, insecure and shy. You were funny, confident and so handsome. I remember I couldn’t stop watching you, with your camera around your neck and your thrift store hat. Eventually that weekend, we talked to each other and the rest is history.

By the time we met at the end of that church aisle to make our vows, we knew each other really well. God had been faithfully working in both of us - preparing, shaping and ‘setting us up’ for life together. The night you asked me to marry you, He reminded me of how He'd been in all the details and the timing:
O LORD, You are my God; I will exalt You and praise Your name, for in perfect faithfulness You have done marvelous things, things planned long ago!
Isaiah 25:1

Hasn’t our life been proof over and over of
God’s perfect faithfulness?

God knew I needed a composed, common-sense man who carefully thinks through every decision; a rational, steady and wise man to balance my impulsive decisions and tendency to react before thinking. A father to our three beautiful girls who looked at things logically in the sea of emotion that could easily have sunk a lesser man!

You are strong in conviction and unwavering in faith. You are the real deal – a genuinely humble man who doesn’t act one way in public and another in private. You're kind - I never hear you speak critical or ugly words. Even when I’ve wanted you to complain with me, you wisely kept quiet! You are steady and strong. And you have more integrity than anyone I know.

We’ve walked through a few tests and trials. We’ve experienced some pretty miraculous times of God’s provision. We’ve been SO blessed.

You know what? I am still in shock that you married me! You are mine and I am yours! There is NO ONE who I’d rather share this journey with. Thank you for these 25 (but really 36) years – I really do believe that the BEST is yet to be.
I love you, sweetheart.