Today is our 12th anniversary. Seven years ago or so, it fell on a Sunday and I was sitting in the back pew in our former church, trying to keep Dominyk and Tony under control, while most likely scanning around to make sure that the older kids were not doing anything horrible. Bart called me up front and I was shocked as he presented me with flowers and a kiss.
This morning I was a little more prepared... just in case. I dressed up, sat near the front, and wasn’t worried too much about all my teenagers, though the girls had not yet appeared in the sanctuary.
My roses, as you can see, are absolutely gorgeous, and my husband, as you know, is the very best their is.
In 2005, I wrote this tribute for our anniversary.
In 2006, I blogged this about Bart on our anniversary.
It appears that in 2007 I was too frazzled to write a great anniversary post, but it was referred to here.
Now this year we are once again in Bart season -- his birthday was less than a week ago and today is our anniversary as well as Father’s Day.
Often I have focused on our relationship, or how great a person he is, but today I am especially grateful for the way he loves me. If you know him, he is one of the most compassionate, loving, forgiving people you’ve ever met, isn’t he? ;-)
He really does know how to love me. When we got married, I picked a song to have sung to him. You can click here to hear it.
But the amazing thing was the song he chose for me. I am about as homely as a person can get -- always have been. And don’t disagree with that. Outward beauty is not my thing. But this is the song that Bart had sung to me at our wedding. It still makes me cry. It is such an incredible song. It isn't letting me embed it so you'll have to click over. Sorry.
And so even though I love who he is, the Dad he is, the husband he is, the pastor he is, the provider he is, the kind, gentle man he is.... I love the way he loves me. Without flaw, without faltering, always loving me, always forgiving me, always keeping the promises he made to me on that day through this song. Try to listen to the whole thing without crying. I can’t. Ever.
And finally, at our wedding, we sung the words to this hymn as a congregation for the recessional.
Now thank we all our God,
with heart and hands and voices,
who wondrous things has done,
in whom this world rejoices;
who from our mothers' arms
has blessed us on our way
with countless gifts of love,
and still is ours today.
O may this bounteous God
through all our life be near us,
with ever joyful hearts
and blessed peace to cheer us;
and keep us still in grace,
and guide us when perplexed;
and free us from all ills,
in this world and the next.
All praise and thanks to God
the Father now be given;
the Son, and him who reigns
with them in highest heaven;
the one eternal God,
whom earth and heaven adore;
for thus it was, is now,
and shall be evermore.
God has been faithful to do just that. He has answered this prayer we prayed twelve years ago today.
And finally, I thank God for teaching us in Scripture what it means to love and for teaching Bart to love me just this way.
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil, but rejoices in the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.
Thank you, Bart, for loving me perfectly. I pray daily that God will teach me to love you as you love me.
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