A Love Letter

Our 21st Anniversary

Dear Kevin,

When I walked down the isle twenty-one years ago and took your hand, I had no idea what the future held, but I knew whatever it held, I would experience it with you. I didn't know then that the love I was feeling was just the surface, I was completely unaware of the depth and width of that love.

Our move to Michigan made for a few hard years in this marriage, but again, I was only seeing the surface. The hardship of that time helped us to grow. It became the season that our roots became grafted together so that our tree could grow sturdy and strong. The hard, rocky surface gave way to rich soil which has produced good fruit.

The miracle of the births of Courtney, Zach and Erin brought joy and wholeness to us. But again, it was tough stuff that came first. The first months of those pregnancies brought much throwing up, nurses, doctors, hospitals, IV's, and day in and day out hardship. You carried us through all of those months with your steady love, attention, and sacrifice. I will never forget how you loved me so well. You worked all day, and took care of me and then each of the subsequent little ones as we waited each pregnancy for the hyperemesis to end.

The miracle of Kyler coming into our lives to become our child brought a new level of trust and faith in God to our marriage. What a horrible time it was as we watched, prayed and advocated for him. It was by the hand of God that he made his way home and completed this family of ours.
 
I loved that on our ten year anniversary we renewed our wedding vows. Though we had always believed in God, attended church regularly and had all the right verses read at our wedding, we had a desire to put Him in the center of our marriage. Having renewed our individual relationships with Him, we wanted to mark the season when we intentionally put Him as the head of our marriage. This was good, and I love this marker in our marriage.

I knew twenty-one years ago when I married you that I was marrying someone I could trust completely. I knew you were good, kind, thoughtful and strong. Again, only the surface, over twenty-one years, I have seen what is beneath that. It is integrity, character, ethics, values, and faith.

On that day, twenty-one years ago, I believed that because we loved each other it would always be easy. How naive! It has taken intentional efforts, difficulties, sacrifice, forgiveness, grace, God, humor, hope and even a little counseling to stand on the other side of these twenty-one years.

As I write this today, I look into the future and I believe in twenty-one more years I will see even more depth. We will have more experiences, more family members, maybe even more moves. There will be grander and deeper roots and more precious fruit.

Just like our wedding day, I have no idea what the future holds, but I know who holds our future, and I know whatever it is, I will experience it with you.

With all my love,
Sheri