29 June 2010

12 Years

I married a man that was like no other man I had ever met. He was sensitive and kind, and he wanted to be with me more than anyone. I had never experienced a relationship with anyone quite like the one that he and I had. He loved me just as I was in spite of my flaws. He loved God and served Him with his talents and whole heart. The fact that he fell in love with me astounded me. I felt like I had so little to offer to him in comparison. He felt the same way about me, and that's what brought us together. 

It didn't hurt at all that he could sing (haha).

12 years later, Eric is still all of those things, and he is so much more that I didn't even see in those days before we wed. He is a supportive husband. When all my "crazy" is up in his face, he knows exactly how to discharge my business. During the tough seasons of our lives when teaching was a nightmare for me, when we were faced with infertility, when our lives and dreams fell apart...Eric stayed by my side. Sure, we had a few rough years, but we both stayed put. It's what you do when you make a promise to stay committed. I'm glad that we made it through those years and that we are together enjoying life on the other side.

When our babies were born, Eric became the kind of father I didn't expect. Of course I knew he would be a great dad; don't get me wrong. You see, I became the kind of mother I didn't expect as well. Friends were making predictions when we were expecting Lukas. Eric would be the softy, and I would be the authority. Uh-hem. During the toddler years, the roles were definitely reversed on that one, which was a good surprise to both of us. Now? Well, those friends were probably pretty close to being right, though we can both kick some tiny butts into gear when we need to do so.  Eric adores our children. He would choose to dote upon them every moment if he could. Watching him be a great father to our children has been a blessing to me. He is definitely a hands-on dad, which helps to balance our family and makes life much easier for me as well, another reason that he is the perfect husband for me. He's more than I could ever have dreamed.

It honestly doesn't seem like it has been 12 years since we married. I look back at some of those years and find that it is easy to see where the long years were, the years that we thought would never end. We're in one of those seasons now, but we're taking it step-by-step, together. Still, 12 years seems to have flown by in so many ways. We've lived in four states since marrying. We've had two babies. We've had friends come into and out of our lives. We've lost loved ones. We've ministered to others together. We've built a life and rebuilt our lives. We've been through some trenches which we dug ourselves and others that were dug for us. We've survived. We've even triumphed.

I know that no matter where God leads us, we'll always have each other. I know that I will be okay because God gave Eric to me. I know that my kids will be okay because we're all four taking this journey together. Eric may not realize it, but, in so many ways, he is the glue that God gave us to hold our family together. He's an incredible husband and father, and I can't imagine my life without him. I won't even try to imagine that. God chose him for me, and, for that, I am eternally grateful. I love this man. I am thankful that he is mine, and I am even more thankful that I belong to him.

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