29 Years of Marriage!

THEN...

Monday, Art and I celebrated 29 years of marriage! We met at church when I was in 6th grade and he was in 7th. His sister and I were friends and he told her that he was going to marry me. Of course, when she relayed the message to me I laughed. Little did I know that he would turn out to be my hubby!

We started dating when I was 16 and got engaged at the beginning of my senior year in high school (hard to believe). I turned 18 in May, graduated high school in June and we were married in July of 1979. I was 18, he was 19 and we didn't really have a plan for our future. We just knew that we loved each other and believed that God had a plan for our lives together. It's not necessarily the best way to jump into marriage but that's the honest truth!

I was recalling a funny story recently. We had been married a short time and were having a little disagreement. I was upset and stepped outside the house and was leaning against the wall thinking. Just then, I heard Art call out through the screen door..."if you walk out that door, don't plan on coming back." He had no idea I was already outside the door! Eventually, he came to look for me and found me outside crying. He laughed and said something like "don't be silly, get inside the house". I just remember us laughing our heads off about it later!

It seems like our life has been a roller coaster. Oh, I'm not referring to our marriage, in fact, I'm happy to say that we've only experienced minor rifts in our 29 years together. I'm just referring to the joys and trials that God has allowed in our life. You know when you get on the roller coaster how you're ready for a thrill, a little anxious and maybe slightly nervous. You get on the ride with your companion, buckle up and hold on. The ride starts out slow but quickly you're moving upward anticipating what may come next. You've got your hands in the air, feeling brave, laughing and living it up. You reach the top but then the ride takes a plunge, your heart is pounding and you may have to pull your hands back down to hold on. You're whipped around a corner or two, laughing and screaming, looking forward, enjoying the ride! Things come at you quickly, like an unexpected twist or turn but there are sections of the track that allow you to regain your composer and throw your hands back in the air with confidence. Then, when you least expect it, you're descending at what seems like an incredible speed and you feel like you can't catch your breath. You're thrown into a loop, just holding on, trying to focus, thankful that you're buckled in! It's almost overwhelming and you wonder when the ride will be over. Just then you feel the roller coaster car slowing down and coming to a stop. You look at your companion with relief and then you're faced with a big decision...should we do it again? My answer is YES...with all the ups and downs, twists and turns, I would do it again and I can't imagine ever doing this life without Art, the love of my life and God...who keeps me buckled up and safe for the ride!

NOW!