The Years We Share

Nov 11

Twenty-three years ago, I married Jeremiah.

I can still remember the first time I saw him at church. He was so handsome, with his olive skin, deep brown eyes, and big hands. I wondered who he was and secretly hoped I might marry him someday. But I was quite certain he was out of my league.

So naturally, I tried to set him up with all my friends.

Thankfully, Jeremiah had other ideas.

He kept finding reasons to spend time with me. He would ask me to go places with him, offer to take me places, and spend evenings at my house with my family. I loved being around him, and apparently, he enjoyed being around me too.

One evening, the night before I was leaving for a buying trip to Dallas with my boss, Jeremiah stopped by to say goodbye. When it was time for him to leave, I walked him out to his truck.

He hugged me and kissed my forehead.

I remember that moment so clearly because I knew, right then, that I would marry him. I believed God had made this man for me.

A few months after we began formally dating, Jeremiah planned an evening at his grandparents' farm. It was spring, and he had set a table beside the pond for a candlelight dinner. He had even built a metal fire pit and had a fire burning nearby.

I had no idea he was going to propose.

Not until he got down on one knee.

And when he did, I got down there with him. I wrapped my arms around him in the biggest bear hug, and I can still remember feeling his heart beating against my chest.

He asked me to be his bride.

On November 1, 2003, I became his wife.

Twenty-three years have passed since that day, and I often find myself wondering how I was blessed with such a wonderful man.

Jeremiah is kind, strong, humble, patient, hardworking, wise, and wonderfully funny. He is a leader, a teacher, and one of the most talented people I know. He approaches his work with excellence and gives so much of himself to the people he loves.

But perhaps what I treasure most is the way he loves me.

Jeremiah has never made me feel that I must earn his affection. He doesn't demand something in exchange for his love. He simply loves me. I have never had to question it.

And over the years, that love has changed me.

One of the greatest surprises of our marriage has been discovering how much I could flourish within it. Through Jeremiah's encouragement and affirmation, I've come to see myself in an entirely different light. He has helped me grow in confidence and become a stronger woman.

I see so much of God's kindness in that. Jeremiah has encouraged me to become more fully the woman God created me to be, and I am deeply grateful.

I've also had the joy of watching him become a father.

There are moments when I watch Jeremiah with Lydia and am reminded of my own dad. The tenderness, the gentle guidance, the firmness accompanied by love, and the quiet confidence of a man who keeps his word are all so familiar to me.

I knew what it was to be loved that way as a little girl, and now I get to watch our daughter experience it too.

It thrills me to see Jeremiah love her so faithfully. Through his example, she is learning something about the character of Christ, and I pray that the love she experiences from her earthly father will continually point her toward her heavenly Father.

Of course, there's also the fun of living with Jeremiah.

He has a wonderful sense of humor. We have collected twenty-three years' worth of silly sayings, shared jokes, and memories that can make us laugh with hardly a word of explanation. And when Lydia starts teasing or making everyone laugh, I know exactly where she gets it.

I genuinely enjoy this man.

In fact, when I think about what we love most about our marriage today, I realize it is the very same thing we loved in the beginning.

Spending time together.

We've built homes, landscaped yards, worked through countless household projects, hunted, fished, swum, hiked, and shared all sorts of adventures. We've also spent an extraordinary amount of time doing very ordinary things—taking care of our home, working, raising our daughter, and tending to whatever needs our attention.

And we love doing it together.

I think that's one of my favorite things about our life. We don't have to be doing anything particularly special to enjoy each other's company. Whether we're working hard or resting, tackling a project or setting out on an adventure, I'm happy to have Jeremiah beside me.

Twenty-three years ago, I wanted to spend my days with him.

Twenty-three years later, I still do.

Last year, on our twenty-second anniversary, I wrote a little poem called The Years We Share. I had been thinking about how anniversaries invite us to remember what has passed while looking forward to what is still ahead.

I didn't share it then, but as we celebrate twenty-three years together, it seems like the right time.

I'm grateful to the Lord for the years He has given us, for the man I get to call my husband, and for the life we continue to share.

And I'm looking forward to writing the rest of our history together.