Counting the Years

How should time be counted,

in seconds, minutes, years, or generations?

As hands round clock faces, a man and wife travel

 through days, months, and years of 

changes, moves, births, and deaths.

For us, we have reached our 13th wedding anniversary,

and we have...

moved 6 times in 2 different states

(and never to the state where our wedding took place)

remodeled 1 entire house

(mostly on sweat equity)

painted 17 1/2 rooms

(not all in the same house)

replaced 9 appliances

(not all in the same house)

replaced 2 heating and cooling units

(not in the same house)

bought 3 'new to us' cars

had 8 pets

(not all at the same time

2 dogs, 3 birds, 2 fish, and 1 lizard)

belonged to 2 different churches and 3 different pools

(not all in the same town)

worked for 6 different companies

(2 for me, 4 for my husband - including the 2 full time jobs - one in each state

 and the 2 part time jobs

he had when we needed extra cash)

and

taken more than 3 dozen long distance car trips

(not all to the same place)

but is any of this really a way to 'count' a marriage?

How, then, should these years count?

There's an old wives's tale or poem that claims

if you marry in August your life will be full of change.

While we don't really hold stock in that...

we have definitely seen our share of upside down, life altering changes

that have brought us to our knees,

in the thirteen years we've been married.

Through it all we've grown together in love and grace,

depending daily on Him who sustains us.

Our bonds have strengthened and grown,

intertwining us together.

This is how we prefer to count our married years,

counting on the One who holds us together

in His love and His grace.

Today, I pray:

Lord, may our marriage bond be a reflection

of so much more than just us.

~ Dorie

Last year I shared the verse that has become an anthem for our marriage.

You can read about that here.