8 years of marriage

Today was the eighth anniversary of my marriage to Jeffrey.

He came home in the afternoon with four pink proteas and one white one. These are the same flowers I carried in my bouquet those many years ago. I am so touched by his thoughtfulness.And despite the fact that we've spent much of the last week upset and arguing as we struggled with a very frustrating decision (more on that in another post), I am terribly terribly glad that I am married to this man. Jeff is kind and caring. He is strong and clever. He has a deep faith in God and it has made a huge difference in his life, with everyday things as well as with major life choices.

The last eight years of my life has been amazing. We've bought a house, and sold it to move interstate. We've had two boys, and two girls. We've both quit our jobs, me to become a homemaker and him to become a theological student, and he's now almost about to begin a new job. We've travelled overseas, and not just on our honeymoon. (We took three kids under three with us to England and Singapore.) We've taught our eldest children the foundations of reading, but we've also taught them the foundations of compassion and respect. I've learnt to cook without too much complaint, and Jeff has learnt to change pooey nappies without too much commentary. We've both learnt the value of sharing our problems as well as our successes. We've learnt a lot about God, much of it through discussing together what we've read in the Bible or heard from the pulpit. We've had fun with our kids and shared many secret smiles over their cutenesses.

I can only wonder at the possibilities of the next eight years of our marriage. Jeff is (probably) about to begin two or three years of being a "Candidate for Minister of the Word" in our denomination, which will entail more study, although it will be part time, and some more part time work at various churches and denominational organisations. Then (God willing!) he will begin as "Minister of the Word" with his first congregation. Our denomination usually makes placements for multiples of five years (with reviews between), so in eight years' time Jeff could be facing the review at the end of his first congregational placement. I never, never, never would have imagined I would find myself married to a minister. I was a pagan when I walked down the aisle to be married to him. One of the best things that has come from my marriage is that I met the LORD God face to face in His one and only Son, Jesus Christ, and was given the faith to place my life in His holy and gentle hands. Thank you God for the many blessings you have given me through my eight years of marriage to Jeff. Please help me to be a blessing to him as well!