20 Years!!

If you read this past Marriage Monday, “Old Tent New Tent,” you know TODAY is our 20th wedding anniversary!!! I can’t pass up the chance to share our joy over God’s faithfulness.

In the past 20 years, a lot has happened on our national and global stage. In no certain order, here’s a sampling … Hurricane Katrina devastated the Gulf Coast, President Clinton was impeached, OJ Simpson’s trial was held, the Oklahoma City bombing took place, Dolly the sheep was cloned, Madeline Albright became the First female Secretary of State, John Glenn went back to Space, the International Space Station was launched, there was a shooting at Columbine High School, the Panama Canal was returned, the hanging chads caused controversy, the Space Shuttle Columbia broke up upon re-entry, the World Trade Center was destroyed, wars took place in lands like Iraq & Kosovo & Sudan, a Tsunami hit in the Indian Ocean, world population surpassed 6 billion, Pluto was declared not to be a planet, there was creation of: Facebook, iTunes, ipod, and YouTube, Y2K caused us to hold our breath, and the US was reminded that we can’t trust in possessions ….

And in the last 20 years so much has happened in our lives. In no certain order, here’s a sampling … two children were born to us, Jeff graduated from seminary, I taught elementary school in PA & OH, we had the joy of sharing Christ on 5 continents, we drove a mini-van and stopped, God gave us employment miraculously, we saw our helplessness and cried out to the Lord, we were mentored in ministry and in marriage, we had too many garage sales, our children accepted Christ as Savior, we learned another language and culture, we fought and made up, our children learned to read, we worried, we prayed, our hearts grieved and healed, we sought the Lord for decisions and He answered, we ministered to other married couples, God gave us a car through generous believers, I got a lot of gray hair, a group of churches partnered with us to reach parts of Asia, we spent happy times at the beach and in the mountains, many guests came through our doors, I changed dress sizes, God opened doors to publish some of my writing, we enjoyed sweet friendships …

Can’t wait to see what the next 20 yrs. will hold! My sweet hubby is “Still the one” (I am humming this today 😉 ) for me, and today is a day I rest in knowing I am very blessed. We have changed so much in the last 20 years. Our marriage has grown from where it began, and the two of us have changed as individuals and as “one.” There’s so much I am NOT sure about, but I can “smile at the future” (Prov. 31:25), knowing the same God who brought us together and made us one will watch over us, guide us, and provide for us. That’s something we celebrate!