The Beauty of Marriage

Marriage is the covenant between a man and a woman who have fallen deeply in love with one another.  Covenant is committing yourself wholeheartedly to that single person for the rest of your life.  It is meant to not only be witnessed by friends and family but supported by them also.  

Someone once said to me one of the most revelatory statements I have ever heard, "If you don't have your word...you've got nothing.  If people can't trust your word, they can't trust anything about you...your character or your integrity."  Whoa!!!...those words sent chills straight to my bones the first time I heard them and have been ringing in my ears ever since.  Your words define who you are...it tells people whether they can trust you or not.

We have turned into a society who has become so nonchalant  with our words, telling people what they want to hear and, in turn, not being true or honest with our words or who we are.  We manipulate and take advantage of others to fulfill our own selfish desires.  I'm so grateful for the man I have been given to be my husband until death do us part.  There is no doubt inside of me about that...not even an ounce....that we will be together until that day.  And the reason I know is first and foremost we believe in covenant and stick to it.  We gave our promise and word to one another and won't turn away from it...no matter how hard it gets.  And the reason I know that is because we took the time before marriage to win each other's hearts and prove our character to one another...showing each other we could be trusted with the little things so in the future we could be trusted with the big.  Jay didn't win me with his words or with his gifts...he won me with his character and integrity.  I watched closely when he didn't think I was watching as to the kind of man he really was and is to this day.  I knew he wanted to honor, cherish and protect me by guarding my heart and his own.  He cares about who I am as a person and I know that especially when we argue and fight and at the end of the day he hasn't turned his heart of to me or mine to him. 

We also had the support of a few mom's and dad's we could trust who weren't afraid to tell us the hard, honest truth when we needed to hear it.  I want people in my life who aren't afraid to speak into me...sometimes the hardest things are the right things...I heard a song about that once:)  I don't profess to do things right all the time and I want people around me who can get me back on the right path when I've taken a detour.  And to this day those same people are walking with us through everyday life as a husband and wife and now a mom and dad...and Lord knows we need all the help we can get! 

Marriage is meant to be the most fun, hard, challenging, joyful, peaceful, character building, humble, loving time of your life.  It's not meant to always be smooth but it's not meant to always be rough either.  Jay, thank you for taking me on this roller coaster ride we call life...I wouldn't trade it for anything and I wouldn't want to do it with anyone else!!!  I look forward and gladly welcome the twists and turns and ups and downs it will hand us for the rest of our lives...I know in the end it will only make our love for one another stronger than the day we said, "I do!"  I love you...