Today is my 14th wedding anniversary. What!? How’d that happen?
Recently Chris and I were talking about the vows we took on this day oh so many years ago, and laughing about how we were just kids who had no idea what “I love you” really meant.
We have grown so much in our understanding of each other… and we’ve especially grown in our understanding of commitment, dedication, perseverance, kindness, forgiveness, acceptance and love. Man, have we changed.
He’s taught me a ton about patience and seeing life from a taller perspective (Chris is 6’6), and I’ve, well, I’ve taught him how to be an awesome cheesy joke teller who laughs at their own jokes even when no one else finds you funny. Lol.
But in all seriousness, mostly we’ve grown in our understanding of faith.
Because of Chris I get the whole “bride of Christ” thing.
I do.
I really get it.
I understand how the church is called to be the bride in their understanding of commitment, dedication, perseverance, kindness, forgiveness, acceptance and love. And how He, our patient bridegroom, loves us unconditionally, sees us at our worse and embraces us anyway, forgives us over and over again, cares, supports, listens, guides and believes in our potential while looking past the flaws and mistakes.
I guess you could say God definitely sees us from a taller perspective.
It’s beautiful.
It’s raw.
It’s real.
It’s humbling.
Walking through our faith in the same way we walk through marriage is hard, and at times realllllllllllllly messy (Lord knows how messy), but it’s also equally beautiful and perfect in its imperfection.
In the same way I didn’t understand the depths of love the day I married Chris, neither did I understand the depths of the Father’s love 14 years ago. But today? Today I’m wiser, and that’s cause for celebration.
So here’s a question: do you celebrate?
In the same way you celebrate a birthday, or a holiday, or an anniversary, do you take time to acknowledge how much you’ve grown in your faith? Do you stop to appreciate how far you’ve come and how much He loves you?
Perhaps you’ve known Christ for 5, 15 or 35 years. Whatever the number, do you pause to reflect on what you’ve learned, how much you’ve changed, and how deep you’ve grown in your understanding of Him?
If not, today might be the most “love”ly day to do exactly day.
“I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.” John 15:11-12
