“Once upon a time” is usually how fairy tales begin, but I was never really a fan of fairy tales. So it makes sense that my life didn’t follow that type of storyline. My life has been more of a lesson in what NOT to do. And truthfully, with each passing milestone and year, I’m more and more okay with that. I’ll try to explain in 500 words or less.
Marriage number one: I was 17 years old, running around with ALL the wrong people, etc. Enough said. No further explanation is needed for this writing. (But I did gain a son.) Marriage number two: Better plans, etc. Some of the same wrong decisions. Failed again. (Gained another sweet boy.) Marriage number three: Well, this one is hard to explain, too. Failed. Again.
Although it might seem as if I’m making light of these situations, nothing could be further from the truth. These were crucial parts of my life. But we all navigate and process situations very differently. And I find that I’m still learning new things about who I am now and who I was then. That often means keeping a bit of a sense of humor.
To tell the story of this fourth marriage will one day take many, many words. That’s not tonight. But what I will tell you is that almost 14 years ago he asked me over for supper and offered to cut all the veggies. That’s what broke me. We dated for 3 years. He disregarded the rules we had established and asked me to marry him in September 2015. And on April 2nd this year, we celebrated 10 years of marriage.
Tonight the lawn wasn’t mowed. The dishes are still in the sink. The eggs aren’t all washed. But we stepped away from all of that and just took a walk to spend some time together. Serious talk. Silly talk. Hopes and dreams. It took me (us) a while to get here. But God…………………He’s so very faithful.
A biblical marriage isn’t far-fetched. You just have to find the one who’s following God. I obviously took a long and windy detour. But here we are ten years later and I think it was well worth the wait.