It was an afternoon designated to cleaning out the now empty condo. I sat in the box-filled living room with stacks of photo albums in front of me. My desire was to go through the pictures and find the photos that were special so I could take them home and scan them and file them on my computer.
As I sat there and perused through those books, I felt like I was reliving my adult life. There was this picture:
Funny, huh? Yeah, those were dating days when we were just getting to know one another and were wondering if there was a future in this special relationship.
Then I found this one:
That photo screams, HAIR! =) But it also reminds me of our early days of ministry. They were tough financially with a new baby, our first home, the need for a new car, etc. But we were happy trusting God together and watching Him provide for our little family.
I progressed then to years later…
Adoring daughters honoring their daddy on Father’s Day. We were in the thick of homeschool then. My husband was working hard to provide so I could stay home and be a mommy to our girls. We made time for fun, yet cheap dates together – $5 Pizza after the girls went to bed, candlelit dessert, games, even our trip to the grocery store was made into a date time. We saw our love continuing to grow.
Then this one from Whitney’s high school graduation weekend:
I guess we were celebrating! This was taken at a restaurant in Greenville, SC where we had lunch with our families. This picture reminds me that it’s okay to be fun and flirty with one another! Who cares if others are there? A kiss in public is permissible when you’re married! =) It’s moments like this that keeps a married couples’ hearts close.
After hours of sorting through photographs, I found myself missing my husband! Looking back at all those years of our relationship reminded me of how good the Lord has been to us, of how much He has brought us through, and of how our love for one another has grown through the hard times. I walked through the door of our home and went straight to my husband’s office and found him seated at his desk.Slipping my arms around his shoulders, I told him how much I missed him that afternoon. I’m sure he was a little bewildered (we’d only been apart a few hours), but he didn’t question my statement. I slipped an envelope of pictures before him and he began flipping through them. There was a smile, a laugh, and even a couple of tears over what was inside. It’s more than just pictures; it’s a relationship from the Lord that has grown, changed and deepened over the years. We are blessed.
When was he last time you sat down and looked through old photos of you and your husband? It would be a great date night! Fix your favorite beverage – coffee, hot chocolate, pop some popcorn, and sit together with the albums in your laps. It will take you back and remind you of God’s goodness, and of where your relationship started. It will renew those embers and help you to realize what a blessing it is to love and be loved!
Happy Thursday!
