A Word of Advice

On August 12, 2006, Michael and I were married. We could not have asked for better circumstances under which to hold such an event. The location was perfect, the butterflies accompanied us, and the LORD settled there to watch two of His children devote their lives to Him and to each other. The end of our reception concluded with a circle of prayer from dear friends wanting to wish us well. One of those very dear friends looked at us and said, "do you want to know how to make your marriage last?" We looked at one another in agreement as he told us his answer. His words were: Put God first, and favor each other. I thought for a minute, how simple that sounded. Over the course of this last year, that has not only proven to be the best advice we received, but also the most difficult. Marriage is work. Not only are we thrust into a new living situation with someone we have never co-habitated with, we are also forced to pretend as if we are happy changing our habits to adjust (for the other persons sake, of course). I have learned through it all, that even the foulest moods can be softened by favor. For example, when I am making dinner, I'll give Mike the bigger piece of chicken because I know he's hungry. He let's me have the last Pepsi, even if he wants it. He opens the door for me and pulls out my chair. At night when I climb into our freshly made bed, I pull the covers down on his side. It's my way of saying that I can't wait to fall asleep next to him. These things may seem simple to some people, but we've had to try. There are many times that we both want to be selfish, and let's face it, sometimes we are. But everyday, we put God first, and then we try to put each other before ourselves. In June, we were given a joyful gift from God and we call her Abigail. She needs our attention almost constantly. We are blessed with His grace each and every morning, just to wake up and spend time with her. We both know that she is only on loan to us because she belongs to the LORD and we want to love her as much as we can. It's harder to spend time alone with each other now, but we find ways to favor each other through her. The truth is, she has brought us closer to each other, and closer to the realization that we need our Jesus now more than ever. She has brought us closer than we have ever been. Now, our priorities have changed for the better. That word of advice is a continued reminder when I get frustrated, a word of truth that helps me realize how thankful I am.