Happy Anniversary

1 Corinthian 13:4-8, 13

4 Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant 5 or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; 6 it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. 7 Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
8 Love never ends.
13 So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

10 years ago today Colson and I were married. 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 was read at our wedding, as it is in many weddings. Those words had meaning then, but their meaning has changed in the last 10 years. They are more powerful than before and I’m certain they will be more powerful in the next 10 years.

Marriage isn’t always easy, especially when a couple has a sick child. Bickering over where to eat or who spent too much money or who should have what responsibility can be a strain on a marriage but usually someone can concede on one issue and the other on the next. Take something someone that means more to both people than all of those things combined multiplied by infinity. When both people are scared beyond any fear ever felt, when both feel a total loss of all control, when both have separate ideas on how to handle sensitive medical situations, and when both act out of fear, there is total disruption of a cohesive unit because there is no conceding by either party when the life of their child is in jeopardy.

The last year was not easy for us on so many levels, but where we are now is so much better than where we were a year ago. We still have a sick child and are still scared beyond reason, but what we’ve learned and conquered over the last year amazes me. We’ve made it through one of the toughest years I hope we ever have to face. I have emerged with more love, respect and admiration for my husband than I would ever thought possible.

Patience is no longer about holding curse words in DFW 5 o’clock traffic. It is about staying calm in a storm, waiting for the lessons and answers to prayers to reveal themselves.

Kindness is no longer about smiling and saying please & thank-you to strangers. It’s about the outpouring of support we have received from people we’ve known for years and from people we barely know. It’s about realizing that everyone has his or her own challenges and fears and approaching them with that in mind.

Love is no longer infatuation/can’t-live-without-each other love. Love is deeper, stronger and now is love for a family - a family I couldn’t comprehend 10 years ago. Love is what I know will survive this test. I don’t know how anyone could possibly face this challenge we’ve been given without hope and faith for those are what keeps us going in dark times, but love makes it all worthwhile.

I’m so proud Colson & I are celebrating 10 wonderful years together.