Happy 22 Year Anniversary

Happy 22 year anniversary to the love of my life.❤️

After 22 years of a successful marriage by most anyone’s standards and what some might argue an even more successful partnership, many have asked me what the secret to a happy marriage is. I think the obvious answer for many outsiders looking in is that we have a Christ-centered marriage. But I think that it goes beyond that; it goes deeper than that. It’s one thing to “say” that you are both Christians, but it’s another thing to act out the lessons that Jesus Christ teaches and apply them in your everyday life, including your marriage.

There’s a scene from the series, The Chosen, where Jesus is talking to Mary, one of his followers, who had turned her back on him, she earnestly seeks forgiveness and Jesus says to her, “I forgive you. It’s over.” This was a poignant message in the show, along with many others, because in a marriage, and in a relationship in general, people will make mistakes. We are all human and that is our nature…we will (hopefully unwittingly and not intentionally) do things to hurt the other person, but the point is to seek out reconciliation and when a common ground is met, and you forgive that person, you also recognize that “it’s over.” Meaning, it will not be held over their head or reserved for a later day. It will not be brought up in conversations at your convenience. The conversation is over and you move on….and you hopefully learn from that experience to strengthen your relationship.

I think that was the point of that second sentence, “It’s over,” because the scene could have just ended with “I forgive you”.

Steven and I don’t do everything right, but I can tell you that we are good at forgiving each other and moving on. We don’t let things linger or hold things over each other’s heads. Although not solely Christian, forgiveness is just one of the fundamental Christian values that we apply to our lives. Most well-versed Christians will tell you that forgiveness is really for yourself, even more so than for the other person.

I’m grateful that Steven is actually much better at forgiveness than I am. He never holds a grudge and really does have a short memory for things that have wounded him. I am very blessed in that regard. I tend to hold onto things a little bit too long sometimes.

There are so many other things that I love about our marriage and specifically Steven, but this seemed appropriate for today.

Happy anniversary, sweetheart, and I forgive you for not massaging my feet yesterday. ❤️😜