Marital Bliss

Over the weekend I was reminded once again how wonderful it is to be married to my husband. It’s been almost a year and a half since the beautiful day we said, “I do,” yet we are more thrilled to be married now than we were on that day.

The past 16 months have been so interesting. First there was the novelty of Andy not having to leave the apartment to go back to his parents house each night but instead getting to sleep in the same bed as me! Then the day to day adjustments like letting him kiss me when I still had morning breath or letting him see me when I haven’t fully awakened and my hair is all over and my face is puffy and my mascara is smudged below my eyes. These events were followed by the “Long Dark Winter.” That was the period of time when Andy was out of work and couldn’t seem to find ANYTHING better than substitute teaching (which was not cutting it!). I was in a lack-of-sunshine-induced-funk and Andy’s lack of employment only added to the frustration that I was already feeling. Fortunately, we made a wise decision before getting married and we went through several weeks of pre-marital counseling with Scott and Joy Engleman. They imparted such valuable insight to us, and really encouraged us to take the rough path early on so that our later years would be smooth sailing. Therfore, Andy and I had many long honest conversations during the “Long Dark Winter” and we were able to emerge victorious in the spring! Our communication and dedication to reading and growing during those long cold months allowed us to grow closer to one another and to appreciate the covenant that we had made for “better or for worse.” The “Long Dark Winter” was hardly a tragedy by many standards, but it was the first rainshower on our parade of idealistic young love.

Presently Andy is employed by the Blake Company in Grosse Pointe and I’m still chugging along at WSU. This winter is proving to be so much brighter than last and we are so grateful for all that God has blessed us with. We still have big hopes and dreams for our future, but we are content in the place that God has us and we are learning to constantly press on toward the goal of becoming all that God intended us to be!