11 years and counting...

June 29, 2007 marks our 11 year anniversary. Wow! How the time flies! Just 11 short years ago Frank and I shared vows and covenanted the rest of our lives to one another. I look back at these eleven years and I am completely humbled and moved and reminded of the significant exchange of commitment we made to each other that day.

I can't say that the last 11 years have been smooth sailing... It has come with its fair share of ups and downs. The time has had its toll on our relationship. From wedding day to graduate school to small stint in Navy to parenting to more life transitions and so on... Yes, we've shared life's joys and life's sorrows-- together. I think that is why it makes life all the more doable! Because we have weathered so much together. On the other hand, I am reminded that marriage is not easy. It is the deepest, most significant and most difficult calls of life. The 11 years have reminded me of that... and that reminder keeps me humble and helps me to remember that we still have to make the space for love, care, and strength to be cultivated in our relationship. Even after 11 years it is not just second nature for us to give sacrificially to one another-- it is an act that we have to continue to seek after and walk carefully in faith.

This blog entry is really a tribute to my husband. I am a lucky woman to have Frank as my husband. We have had tremendously difficult times in life and my husband has continued to stay consistent in offering hope amidst all of it. I am also a pastor, a counselor amongst other things and those are not easy roles not only for myself but mostly not easy on Frank and my family. Most people don't see the tireless way in which he supports me-- even when I am weary, frustrated, unavailable, busy, demanded of, irritable and ungracious. He continues to fight for me like no one ever has ever done in my life. I deeply appreciate his patience and diligence in seeing beyond my flaws and seeing the potential I embody. So as I reflect on 11 wonderfully full years I remember today that where I am today is in large part due to the support, care, and faithful love I have received from my husband. I am looking forward to the next eleven years with Frank with awe, anticipation and wonder.