"I can't believe I got to marry Anna!" Those were my thoughts then, and I still have now 16 years later. I stand absolutely amazed at God's grace displayed in my life through the greatest "means of grace" God has ever given to me, my beautiful wife, Anna. Besides the day of my conversion, today I get to celebrate THE most wonderful day of my life, that being when she said, "Yes!" to me! Here are some of the details, that led up to that wonderful day...
On March 30th 1991, after we had been in a courtship for about 6 months (though we were good friends for two years before this) I took Anna out to a restaurant (that neither of us could afford). (I was 19 years old at the time.) It was a beautiful restaurant that had its own acre garden behind it. After our dinner, the sun had already set and we went for a moon lit walk in the garden. Behind its trees and spring flowers, we found pathways that led to ponds, fountains and little gazebos. Having never been there, I was looking for just the right spot to this memorable occasion. As we turned one corner, there it was...a beautiful white bridge crossing over one of their many little ponds. It was a full moon, and beneath us was the sound of not only the rippling waters, but two small swans resting against one another, asleep, softly snoring beneath us. And, by God's grace and for His glory, that evening I asked sweet Anna to be my bride...and then the most wonderful thing happened! She said, "YES!" That evening, for the very first time, I kissed the only woman I have ever kissed, my sweet dear and precious Anna. As we drove home to tell our families, the Lord then graciously provided for us a shooting star that shot across the sky, flaring up, not once, but twice. In that moment, both of us sat there in awed silence thinking, "Thank you Lord! It doesn't get any better than this."
Well, we were wrong...it does and it has. This morning, as I was drinking my coffee on my back porch, I stood amazed, as I have done many other times, reflecting on our years of marriage together - thinking, "How can it get any better?" But year by year, I find myself almost shocked at how God's grace keeps pouring out is kindness on our little marriage together.
What a blessed man I am! I still can't believe I got to marry Anna! (Check out those glasses!)
2 comments:
I have to put my thoughts here as well. I am daily overwhelmed that Matthew was the one God had set aside for me to marry! Even 16 years ago, I couldn't believe that Matthew wanted ME! I am blessed and I couldn't ask or even want a different life than the one I have! My sweet and amazing husband has been and continues to be an evident sign of God's love and grace to me. Salvation from a life without the Lord is enough, yet the Lord chooses to continue to reveal Himself to me through Matthew in this sweet marrige! I am the one who is blessed! I think I am the one who got the better end of this deal!
I love you Matthew, my best friend!
Yeah!!!!! Yeah!!!! Praise the Lord! We celebrate with you and also have seen evidences of the love of the Lord in your marriage. We just can't believe that the Lord gave us a Pastor like Matthew and with an excellent wife like Anna. Yes, indeed! We are the blessed ones!!!
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