Tuesday, July 27, 2010

What I Didn't Know 8 Years Ago

Since it was our anniversary today, we watched our wedding DVD.  Don't worry, it's not like we were holding hands on the couch, feeding each other strawberries, and intermittently gazing into each other's eyes saying, "Remember that?"   It was more like Mike on the couch drinking tea to relieve his cold, and me on the floor trying to sit comfortably with a 50-pound damp girl on my lap while my belly was protruding between us.  On top of that, the 3-year-old was climbing my back while leaving streaks of snot on my shirt.  Romantic, no?

Nevertheless, I loved watching clips of our wedding day.  I tasted the giddiness I felt when my boyfriend became my husband.  What I realized, though, was that we were two totally different people back then.  There were so many things I didn't know when we exchanged our rings and danced the afternoon away.

1.  I didn't know that I would grow to respect Mike so much.  We were immature kids on our wedding day.  Now my husband is a man.  Wow.

2. I didn't know that our offspring would turn out like this:



and this:



3. I didn't know that marriage wasn't just about striving to be the perfect husband and wife.  Naively, I thought that we could will for our marriage to be blessed by just working really hard at it and fulfilling the ABC's of our roles.  But it was inevitable that we saw the nasty ugliness of each other shine brighter than our goodness.  Now, I'm beginning to learn that any blessing in our marriage comes from the goodness of the Lord, and that more than being a good husband and wife, it's about seeing each other the way the Lord sees us.  Looking past our sin, He considers us forgiven, accepted, loved, because we were bought by the precious blood of His Son.

4. I didn't know that Mike would come to know me so well.  I thought I could get away with a lot more, but I can't hide a thing from this guy because he can detect the minute when something is on my heart.  And even though he risks getting hurt and offended (and believe me, I've hurt him bad), he asks me to reveal whatever is on my mind.  I'm thankful for that.

5.  I didn't know that life would get so hard so fast.  Trials were inevitable, but I had no idea that there would be so many tears cried together, so many late-night-heartbreak talks, and so much weight on our hearts this early on in our marriage.  I also didn't know that I could come to a point where I could genuinely thank God for these hardships, because they've made our short 8 years of marriage so rich.

6. I didn't know that the divorce rate for couples with children with special needs was 80% or higher.  Had I known this, I would have been scared to death.  Yes, our marriage has been stretched in many ways, but my heart explodes with thankfulness for God's grace.  For some reason, He has allowed the difficulty to strengthen our love for one another, and to magnify His great love for us.

7.  I didn't know that true joy didn't come from being fulfilled in my marriage.  In the early years, I wanted so bad for my marriage to be perfect and if it wasn't, I was deeply disappointed.  As much as being married brings indescribable joy, I'm beginning to learn that it's bound to fall short, and that the relationship is so much better when we're both deeply fulfilled by Christ.

8.  I didn't know that I would feel as blessed as I do now, and that Mike and I would be so much more in love now than we were then...8 years ago and counting.

I leave you with my favorite picture of our wedding day.  Auj was inspired to draw it after watching the DVD.  Don't we look radiant?

13 comments:

miriam said...

did u see clips of me with my blonde hair and weighing 50 lbs? my have things changed! so happy for ur marriages and all of those hard times which were really blessings in disguise! =) love u!

bookbloggyblogg said...

Such an encouraging post, Sue!! And Auj has captured the spirit of your wedding day perfectly. ;)

I'm so thankful for all that the Lord has taught you as the Lees, and for all the ways in which He's used the Lees to minister to the people in your life. It's been such a blessing to see how He's grown you both so much in your marriage, and it's such a testament to the gospel that, despite the tough times, God is growing you closer together.

Praise the Lord for that!! I'm so thankful!!

sohee said...

awwwwwww... what a sweet drawing from Auj...!!! Happy anniversary and thanks again for your encouraging words.

Joan said...

Precious reflections. Marriage is such an adventure. :) praise God for all He's blessed you with through it. Happy anniversary!

jane said...

happy anniversary. you and mike really are two different people than 8 years ago - for the better, of course :) love you guys!

B said...

i can definitely attest to you two being so different than 8 years ago too! i remember how giddy we both were in premarital classes. :) i know you could've never imagined what God could take you through in 8 years of marriage but what an encouragement to see Him working in your family. love audrey's picture, what is that thing to the left of you and mike? the piano??

janice cheung said...

happy anniversary! so encouraging to read this post.

Melissa said...

Happy Anniversary Mike and Sue! So encouraged by you both. =) Praise God for these eight years!

juliana said...

happy anniversary! as always, your posts are always such an encouragement and challenge to me. praise God for His goodness!

jules said...

So beautiful! Happy for you two and thankful for your union.

Kim said...

Happy Anniversary to you and Mike!!! The journey never really turns out the way we planned, but like you said, it is through Gods Grace that we get through the hard times and bask in the good. Wishing you many many more years of happiness and new memories together as your family continues to grow together.

susiepyo said...

So sweet to hear how much God has changed and grown you guys for His glory. I can't believe it's been 8 years!! Happy anniversary guys!

cathiehong said...

super sweet reflections, sue! happy anniversary to you both!!!

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