Reason #775
Today marks our tenth monthiversary, which means next month is the last time we'll have a monthiversary. On the 10th of each month, we use the date ideas our family and friends gave us at our wedding shower. We got way more than 11, therefore, we'll probably keep the tradition alive as long as we've got ideas to go off of. Plus, it's a good reason to celebrate.
Our date suggestion tonight was to wrap our pergola in lights and dance under the stars. For time's sake, we used candles rather than lights, which worked just as well. It was a really beautiful night, and the sky was clear. The stars were bright, and as I looked up, I thought about the nights Aaron and I used to sit in the backyard underneath the pergola when we first started dating.
The benefit of dating during the summer is that the evenings seem to last longer. We got into the habit of cooking dinner together after work each night, and after we cleaned up, we'd go outside and sit under the pergola and talk for hours. It was those conversations that connected our hearts. It was those nights that drew us closer together. It was that setting in which we first talked about the idea of one day getting married, and it was underneath that pergola that Aaron first told me he loved me.
We spent some time talking about the start of our relationship tonight. We relived our favorite moments and laughed about how "cool" we tried to play it until we really knew how we felt about one another. We also agreed that, while we had a great time dating and being engaged, we were so glad that those days were behind us. Because although marriage can be hard some days, it's worth it. Even when it requires more work than you'd prefer, when you're feeling stressed and overwhelmed, when you go through growing pains, and when you wonder if you'll ever become the spouse you want to be, you realize that all of those situations give you the opportunity to create something beautiful if you'll use it to overcome, learn, and grow together.
About a month before Aaron and I got married, my Dad reminded me that nothing in life is certain. It's true. There is absolutely no guarantee that I'll never face heartache again. There is no guarantee that I won't have other trials come my way. There's no guarantee that Aaron and I will live to be 100 and always have an easy going life, however, I fully expect that we have many days ahead of us. Sure, that means we'll have really joyous days and some hard days. That means we'll have seasons of pain and seasons of victory. We'll cry together, and we'll laugh together. We'll hold hands as we walk through the desert, and we'll jump up and down during the harvest. I can't guarantee how they'll happen, when they'll happen, or even if they will happen. The only guarantee I can make is that we'll experience them all together, and I have no doubt in my mind that that's the absolute truth.
Ten months in and it is as sweet now as it was when it first began. From the first night we sat underneath that pergola wondering what the future had in store for us, to dancing under it tonight after 10 months of marital bliss, I wouldn't trade a day. Because every day has taught me more about myself, about love, about faithfulness, and about redemption than I would have ever known otherwise. Every day spent with Aaron is just what my heart needs, and I'm so grateful the Lord knew that from the start.
#775 - For the guarantee of facing the future together.
"For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." -Jeremiah 29:11
Our date suggestion tonight was to wrap our pergola in lights and dance under the stars. For time's sake, we used candles rather than lights, which worked just as well. It was a really beautiful night, and the sky was clear. The stars were bright, and as I looked up, I thought about the nights Aaron and I used to sit in the backyard underneath the pergola when we first started dating.
The benefit of dating during the summer is that the evenings seem to last longer. We got into the habit of cooking dinner together after work each night, and after we cleaned up, we'd go outside and sit under the pergola and talk for hours. It was those conversations that connected our hearts. It was those nights that drew us closer together. It was that setting in which we first talked about the idea of one day getting married, and it was underneath that pergola that Aaron first told me he loved me.
We spent some time talking about the start of our relationship tonight. We relived our favorite moments and laughed about how "cool" we tried to play it until we really knew how we felt about one another. We also agreed that, while we had a great time dating and being engaged, we were so glad that those days were behind us. Because although marriage can be hard some days, it's worth it. Even when it requires more work than you'd prefer, when you're feeling stressed and overwhelmed, when you go through growing pains, and when you wonder if you'll ever become the spouse you want to be, you realize that all of those situations give you the opportunity to create something beautiful if you'll use it to overcome, learn, and grow together.
About a month before Aaron and I got married, my Dad reminded me that nothing in life is certain. It's true. There is absolutely no guarantee that I'll never face heartache again. There is no guarantee that I won't have other trials come my way. There's no guarantee that Aaron and I will live to be 100 and always have an easy going life, however, I fully expect that we have many days ahead of us. Sure, that means we'll have really joyous days and some hard days. That means we'll have seasons of pain and seasons of victory. We'll cry together, and we'll laugh together. We'll hold hands as we walk through the desert, and we'll jump up and down during the harvest. I can't guarantee how they'll happen, when they'll happen, or even if they will happen. The only guarantee I can make is that we'll experience them all together, and I have no doubt in my mind that that's the absolute truth.
Ten months in and it is as sweet now as it was when it first began. From the first night we sat underneath that pergola wondering what the future had in store for us, to dancing under it tonight after 10 months of marital bliss, I wouldn't trade a day. Because every day has taught me more about myself, about love, about faithfulness, and about redemption than I would have ever known otherwise. Every day spent with Aaron is just what my heart needs, and I'm so grateful the Lord knew that from the start.
#775 - For the guarantee of facing the future together.
"For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." -Jeremiah 29:11