Yup! It’s the 19th and we are celebrating 19 years of trying to figure out how to turn two people into one. And we’re doing OK. I told her when we got engaged, “Just remember, everything that is yours will be mine, and everything that is mine will be mine, and we’ll do fine!” She told me, “Just remember – Rule #1: The Wife is Right. Rule #2: If the wife ever isn’t right, refer to Rule #1.”
At our wedding Pastor Erwin Lutzer, of Moody Church in Chicago, told a very touching story. He said, “As Sara was standing at the back of the church before the ceremony and about to enter to the music and was looking down the aisle that would forever change the path of her life, she was reflecting on that aisle. Then, she looked upon the altar where she would make the vows that would bind her for life to the man she had chosen, and so she thought about that altar. And then lastly she looked upon him – the man to whom she would soon be married and spend the rest of her life with, and so in her final moments of singlehood, these were the things she was thinking about…over and over…aisle; altar; him. Aisle; altar; him. Aisle; altar; him. Aisle; alter; him. I’ll alter him. Yeah, I’ll alter him!”
Well, alter me she has. But it’s all been for the good. I’ve become a better person for being married to my sweetheart. Gentler. Kinder. More patient. More sensitive to people. More observant of subtle cues I used to miss. Less dominant in social settings and a better listener. She’s made me a better person. But while Pastor made a funny joke, my wife hasn’t set out to change me (like some wives do), she has allowed me to be myself (flaws and all) and been gracious and forgiving in the worst of times. She has changed me by her example and her quiet and gentle spirit which I admire. (I Peter 3:3-4)
(Read the story of how we met from a previous anniversary blog post.
Congratulations! Very happy for both of you!