Marriage

15

We are 15 today.

Him and me.

One for 15 years.

It snowed when we were saying “I do.” The surprising white of early winter blanketed the bare of late fall.

And we barely noticed then, but think back fondly now. Of how I prayed that there would be no rain on my wedding day.

The sun shines today, there have been very few November snows in the last 15 years. They are rare. Like him.

So many answered prayers that day. Years and years of them, from the mothers and fathers, the sisters and brothers, the grandmothers and grandfathers the friends with tears in their eyes over us, these prayers were answered in little words in the center of a make-shift sanctuary, with two voices softly saying “I do” and meaning it.

We were prayed toward each other from cold mornings in Michigan and sunny afternoons in Florida by mothers who wanted what was right and good for their children. Directed by God on individual paths that led to our treading one path together.

Knowing that anything can happen, that “…the prayer of the upright is His delight.” Knowing then, that now would be sweet. Knowing that God had done this. These are the reasons we stood confidently and promised our weaknesses to each other’s strengths, and our strengths to each other’s desires.

A happy anniversary is not by chance.

It takes a lot of prayer, a focus on God’s direction and a few surprise snowfalls to make an anniversary happy.

From year 1 to 15, we have danced, run, walked, stood, waited and rested on a path made for one. Not every moment has been happy, but remembering the purpose, remembering the promise, remembering the prayers has culminated to 15 very happy anniversaries.

From the back of our wedding program:

To Our Friends and Family

We are forever grateful for your love and support throughout all we have endeavored to do on this day and all those before. In many ways you are all responsible for bringing us together and for this we cannot express enough of our thankfulness.

We are beginning today, what we both consider to be, an incredible journey. your prayers and your encouragement are a very important part of that journey and we plan to gather as much of it in as our hearts will allow. We both believe strongly that your presence here today is a sign of your commitment to our union and to our continued growth in love toward each other and toward our Savior. We have been given this opportunity not only to share our lives with one another but to give this new life back to God for His service.

Thus a wedding ceremony.

Not a show of fashion, not a display of worldly wealth, not even a necessary gathering, but rather a collection of what is, and those who are, important to us. This celebration is your chance to listen as we vow to one another what we believe to be God’s will for our lives. We believe that as brothers and sisters in Christ it is your job to hold us accountable to those vows and to encourage us as we learn just exactly what they mean.

As you surround us here today, we ask that you look as closely into our eyes as possible, and when you see why we are here, we know you will understand, and you will rejoice in what God has done. For truly all things work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose.

God Bless You All,
We Love You!
Kris & Mary Jo

4 thoughts on “15

  1. Lovely and so true. So many prayers went up, and God was so faithful. Kris could not have found a more perfect wife!

  2. Lovely 🙂 Happy anniversary. Of course I can’t help but think that Travis and I had our first date 15 years ago. Thanks for having an anniversary to remind me of it 😉 I’m terrible at remembering dates.

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