in sickness and in health

This valentines day I wanted to post a special blog as a tribute to my awesome husband.

The past four years have been the hardest in my life and I can honestly say that I couldn't have survived them without him. Few couples in their first five years of marriage experience the meaning of the words they promise on their wedding day "in sickness and in health til death do us part"... but the past few years we have been through it! Sickness, death, loss, life, joy, hope, disappointment, success, failure... Through it all Matthew has been there. Faithfully. Without complaint. Right by my side. Supporting me. Serving me. Loving me as Christ loved His church.

Five years ago I would have never dreamed I could ever be loved like I am today. I could not imagine my life where it is right now. The adventures. The opportunities. The joys and the trials. All shared with the love of my life. Five years ago I had given up hope that I would ever find "the one"... I thought that I was unloveable. unworthy. too broken to be cared for by a man... and certainly not by a man like Matthew. But here we are. Living proof of God's grace and mercy in our broken lives. And as our fourth year of marriage approaches, I look back and say "Thanks, God" and I wouldn't trade a minute of it.


Thank you Matthew. For being there. For loving me. For lifting up my head when the rest of the world is pulling it down. For never giving up on me especially when I want to give up on myself. For confronting my insecurities with love and faithfulness. For providing for my every need and not ignoring my desires. For taking the time to notice the little things that matter to me. For being strong in my weakness. For being you in a world of conformity. For pressing through your own pain and exhaustion to care for me in my weakness. To selflessly love me and to demonstrate concretely the unconditional love of God in my life. You are my joy, my purpose for living, my reason to get up in the morning. My sunshine on a rainy day. My strength. My friend. My lover.

May our love grow stronger as we grow ever older.

Happy Valentines Day!