Times of Refreshing

We're hitched!

We decided to renew our vows for ... ummmm ... perhaps the fourth time in 31 years!

We had even dressed in matchy fashion. Black and wine were our colors that we had chosen. Hmmmm ... black at a wedding ... shouldn't I be in white! Oh well, for the fourth time, it works!

We didn't know Pastor was going to give us the invitation to come to the altar and renew our vows that morning and he didn't know if we would come. He made the invitation to every married couple that he was addressing who were joined with us in the pews.

When Pastor began to share his heart on meeting us at the altar, Scotty looked me in the eye and asked, "Do you wanna go?"

"U huh!" I responded.

"Why?" he asked.

"Why not?" I said.

So when the altar had been opened up, Scotty grabbed my hand and we nearly ran to the altar. We stood right in front of the pulpit. Other couples gathered on either side of us and the vow renewal began. My heart literally pounds faster with retrospect.

Pastor was nearly overwhelmed with emotion at the response.

Scotty and I stood face to face, eye to eye, hand in hand and it was as if no one else was in the room but us. He was beaming! I could not help but giggle he looked so cute ... so much like the darling young man I married way back in another lifetime, it seems!"

At the end of the vows Pastor forgot to say, "You may kiss your bride" but that did not stop my man from giving me a great big kiss in front of everyone!

Someone from somewhere yelled out, "Wait! You have to let them kiss their brides!"

Giggles erupted in the room.

I reached up before Scotty could kiss me and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

Then he reached down and swept me up and gave me another kiss! We sealed our vows with kisses right there at the altar in church ... in front of everyone ... well everyone who wasn't kissing!

We have been on our honeymoon all week! Truth is, it has been one of the craziest weeks ever with stuff happening everywhere but we have carried the glow of that day all week long! Renewed promises have lightened our hearts! The world seems all glowy! We have been reminded that we really are in love and we are in this thing for the long haul and it is just awesome!

A radiance of joy has rested on Scotty's face all week long. I can hardly take my eyes off of him.

I am more in love with him now! I don't know how to explain this to you but I just know that I am! I am feeling it and I am sure that it is deeper now and will carry me through when I am not feeling it.

There were so many times in our marriage that I wanted to throw in the towel! I married my polar opposite! We are incompatible, or so they might say, but we have learned to live together and we have overcome a lot of our stuff with time.

I haven't liked him every minute of these thirty-one years! I am sure that you would agree with me, that there were times he just wasn't likable. I wanted free ... I felt trapped! I wanted a different life ... one like ... HERS! You know, the one with the perfect marriage, perfect children, perfect house! I really don't know her but I was sure she was out there. But I knew, somewhere deep in my heart, I knew that I would be more miserable without him than with him.

So, I hung in there ... even when it hurt so bad I thought I was going to die! Literally! So literally!

There were times that he felt the same as I did. I am grateful that he hung in there when he was tempted to walk away, too.

We don't have a perfect marriage ... in fact, I can tell you for sure ... our life together probably looks plumb crazy from anyone else's perspective. But we are happy in it ... now!

It isn't perfect but it is us! How could it be?

I am so grateful for every time that we hung in there when we didn't want to because we got stronger and more committed over time.

It was a surprise, this little time of refreshing that happened upon us ... didn't know it was on the way, didn't see it coming, but we are sure glad that it is here! We are celebrating it!