12

This happened 12 years ago, tomorrow. Wow. Seems like for-ev-er. Kind of was.

I love him so. Those special moments of 3/24/01 were some of the best of my life. It was such a joyful day and so "us". We planned the details to have meaning for us, and they reflected our Jesus. I will never forget the sweetness.

And our life together - way beyond what I deserve. Grace upon grace.

But I see those baby faces and smiles - hardly able to restrain the excitement for the life together that was ahead - and I pause. I was only one month out of my teens. {"Alot of bittersweet is coming your way little lady"}


Life threw some crazy curves our way. Somewhere along the way I found out he was human… *wink* and in the process, my own selfishness, controlling nature, and stubbornness was revealed.


He hears love in a different language than I speak it, and vice versa. Translating, and stretching, and compromising has grown us alot.

I talk everything out,
he is quiet.

We deal with stress
differently.

We parent
differently {oh how grateful I am for his balance in my over protective nature…}.

We grieve
differently.

But -

We worship the same.

And this union? - It's about the One we worship, not us. Not us at all. If it were about us, I may not be writing this {twelve years} post.


When our *selves* are whisked away to the back of our minds and we glimpse truth we see this amazing picture…


Our marriage is a display of Christ and the church. Maybe that sounds like crazy-Jesus-freak-stuff. Well, that's because it is. And I'm okay with that.

It has always been our prayer (and this year more than ever) that when anyone looks at these two {imperfect} people, they will get a little bit more of an understanding of how God loves.

A peek of redemption.

A picture of grace.

A glimpse of forgiveness.

A reflection of crazy love. 

See how the imperfect and the messy completes the picture? If we continue to hold fast to this union, in spite of
               what is hard,
                                  and when it hurts,
                                                            and at the cost of…
                                                                                    
                                                                                                           everything,


Then, yes, this is all about Jesus. It's Him in us, and us {abiding} in Him. With no credit that can be taken for ourselves.

If it were easy, it wouldn't be all Him.

This year {year 12} I have grown exponentially in my understanding of my purpose here, and the purpose of our marriage. I have felt God in a more tangible way than I ever have before. I have had breathless moments of seeing what a privilege I have in supporting, submitting to, and encouraging this man (who I truly believe is a man after God's own heart). I have seen the best of him and the worst of him. He has seen me vulnerable and heart-ugly.

And still we hold faster to that which we promised. Forever and always, no matter what. 


Mr. McCallum, 

I could never say thank you enough for the way you show me Jesus. I know what you are thinking, and I just have to say, "oh yes, yes you have". Just stop and think about it for a minute. Do you see it? Yes, there it is. You have led me to the feet of Jesus and shown me his Heart. His heart for you, for me, and for us. This exquisite union. I love us. I don't know how many years God will grant us together. He is teaching us that "one day at a time" thing. I will take as many tomorrows with you as He gives. I'm in it for as long as our forever will be, and I do hope it is a long, long time. 
#loveourcrazylife  #wouldntwanttodothiscrazylifewithanyonebutyou