That is how long that I have had the honor and joy of being called Mrs. Kirkwood. And unless the Lord chooses to take one of us home sooner rather than later, I look forward to many, many more years of this blessing!
Back on that beautifully sunny and warm Spring day, I got to look into the eyes of my beloved and promise to "share all that is to come" and to commit to loving and supporting him "just as the church does to Christ her Lord." And ten years later, I wouldn't change a thing. I still hold to this promise and will not be moved from this covenant.
I still remember that late morning, standing behind the doors with my dad by my side. Butterflies in my stomach. Love overwhelming my heart. Am I really this lucky? Is God really giving me this man to be my husband? Do I really get to spend my life with him? The music starting. The doors slowly opening. The long aisle before me. And then I see him. Waiting for me with a smile, and tears in his eyes. My heart melts. Thank you, Lord.
What a cherished memory! What a treasured day that was! Such joy and excitement and anticipation for our life ahead! A young love that would begin to develop into more than I could have imagined.
Little did I know then, though, that marriage truly is a commitment. A sacrifice of self. A determined decision to prefer the other over self. This all sounds good and right as you go through premarital counseling. I understood this to be true...logically. But, the lesson doesn't become real until it is practiced. And it doesn't often take too long after the wedding for the opportunity to arise.
These past ten years have given us plenty of opportunities to lay ourselves down for the other. To sacrifice self for the sake of the other. Sometimes we function as husband and wife {as an illustration of Christ and His church} beautifully. Many times, not so much. But we are growing, and will continue to grow as we seek one another's forgiveness when we blow it, and then pursue in the way of love and humility...because of God's faithfulness toward us.
What I also didn't know back then was how much more I would grow in my love for Corey. And how much I would enjoy watching him grow in Christ-likeness, and how much I would find joy in supporting him in whatever and however he felt the Lord was leading him. Growing in Christ together has deepened our love for the Lord and our love for one another in ways I could not have even imagined.
Corey's continual example of serving me and our girls, and his devotion to loving God with his whole being, is such a true gift from God. Looking back, I now realize that I hadn't even begun to open the treasured gift that God was giving to me back on that beautiful day when we said "I do."
This marriage has been a far greater gift than I could have even imagined all those years ago. And it causes me to look forward to what another ten years will bring!
Thank you, Corey, for continually pointing me to the One whom our marriage prepares us for - Jesus! You make my heart smile. I love you.
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