Completing Him Challenge ~~ June 21

This week's challenge is to remember our vows. Beloved and I were married 80 days after we met. Yes, you read that correctly - 80 days after we met. Beloved is a man who can make quick and firm decisions.

We had a lovely wedding. It was at my church, with its beautiful stained glass windows and my pastor, Pastor Paul. We had a morning wedding. Being married in the morning is a very easy way to keep a lid on your budget :-). Since we weren't having a dinner reception we were able to have the reception at my parent's house, and have a lovely lunch buffet. I wore a cream colored satin suit with a floor length skirt, and carried starlight lilies in my bouquet. Beloved had a gorgeous new grey suit, and there was a hint of muted red in his tie that matched my lilies perfectly!!

I remember picking out the scripture that was to be read at the wedding - I Corinthians 13:4-8. It remains one of our favorites scriptures - in fact I have a print for our wall with the words in floral hearts. Whenever I read it I am reminded of my vows and what they really mean:

Love is patient, love is kind - Love doesn't care if he leaves socks on the bathroom floor, or if I make box macaroni and cheese for supper

Love does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud - Love doesn't need to win an argument, it seeks to prevent the argument.

It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs - Love thinks of Beloved before myself, makes his favorite cakes, meals, and tries to see his side of things in all situations.

Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres - Love carries us through times that we think are insurmountable, keeps us back-to-back when trouble finds us, and gives us the stamina to continue.

Love never fails - Beloved and I have faced terribly hard times. We have buried parents, grandparents, and even several pregnancies. We have been forcibly separated by his work, torn apart during trials that we needed each other to face, and even faced a horrible car accident where Beloved was hit head on while he was on his motorcycle. Love never fails. It is there when your heart is broken and you think that morning will never come. Love from God has held us together when there was no other reason for us to continue.

I may not remember each word of my vows, but I can attest that I try to live them each and every day. I am blessed to be married to a man that lives up to his vows when I deserve it the least, and loves me through the hardest times of my life. He is truly my gift from God.

~BA~