A Tribute to Seventeen Years

I was just 19 years of age when we promised each other forever... just a tender adult, emerging from those tumultuous teen years. We exchanged wedding vows three years after that. Today, we are celebrating seventeen years of God's goodness (#745) and His grace (#746) in our marriage!

May 1991

How time flies... it has a way of doing that when one is having fun, don't you think?

Today, I am no longer that shy 19-year-old girl. This woman that I have become is no doubt because of His great love for me... packaged within that great love is the gift of a wonderful man (#747) He has given me to walk this thing called life together with.

Truly a grace-gift!

February 2011

My hubby is a man of few words. As Canada Post is on strike this week and no mail is flowing, I am reminded of the postal strike back in 1991 which lasted even longer.

He and I were physically separated, twelve time zones apart, during those early years. It was before the advent of the Internet... before email, Skype, Facebook, Twitter. Plus, international long distance telephone charges were sky-high expensive! Snail mail was our only means of regular communication.

Because of the labour dispute, mail that was getting through were few and far between. That, plus the fact that he didn't write all that often {a man of few words, remember?} made each letter even more precious to me. Each letter I got from him, I treasured with all my heart. I read his words over and over again. And then, again!

I quickly discovered that hubby expresses the language of love, not with words, but more importantly with his actions. Through his quiet strength and his love for God, he spoke a love language and I understood. With understanding came growth.

We grew. And, I grew... into the bride God intended me to be.

Through his sacrificial love for me and for our family, I have been given a tangible example of how much Jesus loves us, His Bride... the church.

Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.
~ Ephesians 5:25-27 (NIV)

There is so much more growing to do, even after these seventeen years. And, God's grace is all-sufficient. Truly thankful. Truly humbled. Truly blessed.

Unwrapping more of His love in this world.

Act justly.  Love mercy.  Walk humbly with God!