Love Never Fails

So, this is my attempt at a thoughtful Valentine's Day blog post.

Doug and I will be celebrating our 10th anniversary this summer. That means this is our 10th Valentine's Day as a married couple. We actually had our first official date to a Valentine's Dance for his housing group at Grove City College (1999).

With this major anniversary on its way in just a few months (that I'm sure will fly by like the rest), we have had several reminders this year of what it really means to be approaching this early milestone in our marriage (I'm looking forward to many, many more, 20, 30, 50, 75!).

Here are a few "in your face" examples:

1. Our Breadman bread machine bit the dust a few months ago. It was our prized registry item which we received from my wonderful bridesmaids. We had friends in college that were married and always baked amazing bread in their Breadman, so we felt we just had to have one to do the same. =) It ended up coming in handy for another much more important job, creating a whole wheat pizza dough on at least a weekly basis for our treasured stay-in date nights. We were sad to see it go (it almost blew up one day!).
2. Koen was helping with dishes one day and dropped this mug in the sink. This isn't just any mug. It is one of 4 that we purchased from Williams Sonoma on our honeymoon as a little wedding gift to ourselves for our kitchen. Doug has enjoyed coffee in them daily since. We plan to repair it and thankfully have 3 more, but still...
3. Today Koen was doing his macaroni project (see prior post) and chipped one of these lovely Viking House bowls that we were given as a wedding gift from dear friends at my home church.

4. I will spare you a picture, but my Pyrex bread pans used to be clear, pristine, my mom even commented on "how do you keep them so clean like that?" a few years ago, but alas, it's been 10 years and they are dingy and cloudy now (although still bake yummy bread just fine!).

Ok, so this isn't what it "really" means to be hitting the 10 year mark. Just some light reminders I guess of the passing of time. But it is a serious reminder to me as well. Life isn't about what you accumulate. It's not even about the things that hold those dear memories. It's about love and the blessing we have to walk through life with others that demonstrate that love to us.

Our marriage isn't perfect, it's a fun work in progress, but I know I'm loved. These verses were read at our wedding and what a challenge they are still to us today as we pursue this relationship under God's care. And the bottom line is that unlike these items I described above, true love never fails.

I Corinthians 13:4-8

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.

Happy Valentine's Day, Douglas. I love you!