Just before Ben and I became engaged (I had a hunch it was coming) I wrote this below to give him on our wedding day. Needless to say, nothing went as planned! I was 3 hours late to the wedding venue because I regret to inform you, I LEE, had a "melt down" over my hair. (Shocker, I know!) Emmy Belle was the only brave soul who would sit with me as I squalled about my: "Stringy, frizzy, too curly, not curly enough, bleach blonde, 'Oh my! I see roots!!'"head of hair. To which she finally couldn't watch anymore and imparted her 4 year old words of wisdom upon me. As she settled into a chair with a story book to wait on me and thumbed through the pages she said, "Lee-lee, don't cry! You know that God made everybody and he made everybody SO, SO perfect. And you are perfect and very pretty." It was at this moment I was able to bring everything back into perspective. The simple words of a child. Her simple understanding of the world and God's love. Ben loved me no matter what, even with no make-up and ugly hair. I wiped my tears and replied, "Thank you Emmy. Yes, I know, He did make everyone so perfect because He loves us all, right?"She jumped out of the cozy chair, threw her book on the floor and replied, "YES! He loves us!!! Just like I love you! Can we go to your wedding now so I can throw the flowers and eat your cake?!"Of course, Emmy Belle. HAHA! Within minutes I was dressed, hair, head piece and all, walking out the door to walk down the aisle to meet the right, "one".Let us not love with words or tongue, but with actions and in truth."
1 John 3:18
I know words can mean nothing. Sadly, I've witnessed this one too many times in my short lifetime. Our love for each other and our love for Christ is an ACTION. Not just words, not beautiful prayers. But what we DO. And what we do with our words.
HOW we ACT.
How we LOVE.
I saw this in Emmy Belle's sweet heart that day when her little words and her bravery to stick around when no one else could stand me.
I feel this everyday that share with Benjamin. Oh my! I have gotten off track! More on this subject later! With that I'll finish my thoughts and share a piece of my love to my Mr.I wish I had a photo of the moment that Emmy and I shared on the floor of her bedroom as I got ready, but I don't. Sadly, "Bridezilla" had scared everyone off (For the record: it was my only "Bridezilla" moment for the ENTIRE wedding season! Gold star for me, right?!) For now however, I will leave you with what I wrote to my Benjamin, that I presented to him just after our wedding and a few photos of the quiet moments we shared the next day hiking in the crisp January cold.
I must confess, I have had to defy my own gravity;
And during our 3rd chapter, there came a day when I had to let go and just love you.
Just as you have loved me.
For 963,950,400 moments
You’ve loved me and made sure that I knew it!
That’s 1,834 days.
There have been days we have been far a part
But there was still a love.
And days when we just simply couldn’t say goodbye.
Then you REALLY loved me!
There have been days of absolute and utter personal devastation
Days when there was nothing left but a shell.
Yet you still love;
Even when we weren’t speaking, you called to make sure I was still breathing and remind me that there is always tomorrow.
You’ve lifted me up in prayer and in smiles and awful jokes.
“We’ve sat in the ash of stupid words can’t take back”
Yet we have still loved each other.
You bring out the BEST in me.
You help push me, because you know, like I, You have to change to grow.
You help to remind me of the faith I must exercise as a daughter of the Prince of Peace.
We’ve always been genuine and honest in every part of our lives with each other
And we still love.
They say the best duos are not those who look into each other’s eyes but those who look into the directions.
We wake each morning knowing that when we were born, the Lord provided us with a great inheritance (Ephesians 1:13,14)
In return we serve His Kingdom.
You are a soldier for Christ, just as I am a soldier for Christ
We will not serve ourselves but the Lord first and then those around us and each other.
In tandem each day as Paul tells us in Ephesians we will “Take up the Whole Armor of the God”.
Fastening on the belt of truth
Putting on the breastplate of righteousness
Shoes for our feet, in readiness given by the gospel of peace.
Taking up the shield of faith, to extinguish all the flaming darts of evil.
Taking the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit.
And with that, together we will persevere in the name of the Lord as His ambassadors. (Ephesians 6:10-20)
We are NOT perfect humans but we try. That’s what the Lord calls us to do.
“you and I are best because we know we gotta try”
I stand here before you, promising to try every day, to be a Godly wife,
To be the funny girl, the pretty girl, so yes, I WILL brush my teeth once in while!
The same girl that you met in an 8 am college class which in itself is a miracle that I actually showed up on time to sit in the back and next to you.
To be the same girl who totally stalked you on MYSPACE!
And introduced you to the world of crafts and cookies with munchkin brothers and sisters
Yet I promise to be the girl, who will always see the unbridled beauty of horses,
The girl who is also the woman who wants to change the world and love this life of lemonade as much as possible
I promise to be supporting you in the endeavors that the He calls as I know you support me.
I commit to you this life, within this circle of love.
May the Lord bless you and protect you and shine His face upon us both and be gracious to us, may He give us peace.
Once you choose hope anything is possible.
That day in our chapter 3, I knew it would be you in my heart always.
So with this:
I promise to love you more than any other, in good times and in bad;
I promise to be slow to anger and quick to forgive and to treat each morning as a new opportunity to share life and love with you.
I love you forever Benjamin.
Got to LOVE those honeymoon self portraits!
Two are better than one,
because they have a good return for their work:
If one falls down,
his friend can help him up.
But pity the man who falls
and has no one to help him up!
Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm.
But how can one keep warm alone?
-- Ecclesiastes 4:9-12
