three promises

It was the first nice Saturday of the year and we were doing yard work at my favorite place in the whole world - gramma’s house. Our parents were there with my sister and her family to help us clean up the yard before summer. We cut back all the dried clematis vines from the previous year from the gazebo my gramma loved so much. We swept the floors and cleared the cobwebs. We pulled weeds and tall, unruly grass. And when we were done and he followed me into the gazebo and got down on one knee, my heart stopped. It still stops when I think about it. Before he asked me the question I’d been waiting to hear my whole life, he asked me to promise him three things:

1.     That I will love him for the rest of my life. This little statement carries a lot of weight. How can you know that you’ll love someone forever – emotions can be so fickle. But that’s the problem! We (especially us girls) can’t “follow our hearts” like we’ve seen in every Disney movie we’ve ever watched. That is NOT what real love is. I heard this recently in a sermon about marriage: “Biblical love is an act of the will accompanied by emotion that leads to action on behalf of its object.” Those actions are by no means void of emotion, but they are not lead by emotion either. You know what that means? Love is a CHOICE! I know that I will love him for the rest of my life because I will choose to. And lucky for me, he makes it easy.

2.     That if I ever start to become bored in our marriage, I will talk to him about it. No matter what you’ve heard, love isn’t all you need - communication is key. If there’s something wrong, you have to talk about it. You cannot fix something if your spouse doesn’t even know it’s broken. No matter how big or small your issue might be, talk. it. out.

3.     That no matter what, we will stick it out. These days, marriage is entered into much too lightly. People get in knowing that they can get out. Prenuptial agreements decide the terms of your divorce before your marriage even begins! I know there will be times when we’ll struggle, but we are starting to finish. And we will give God all the glory.

And of course, we he finally did get around to asking me to marry him, I couldn’t wait to say yes. It was easily the best day of my life…

Father God, I pray that I will always choose to honor these promises. Thank You for placing people in my life who can help keep me accountable. And again, thank You that Your plan for my life includes Nate. I pray that our marriage will always be an example of Your love for the church. I love you. Amen.