16 years

16 years ago we looked a little younger.  A few less wrinkles, a little more color and not so much gray, a couple of pounds lighter.

We also thought we knew what being married was all about.  Love, laughs, long talks, all the heart-eye emojis (were those even a thing back then?!).

But then the years started to go by.  There are good times, definitely, but then there are those times when we look at each other and wonder how.will.we.ever?!  When all you want to do is just roll over and go to sleep instead of hashing out the same ol' topic--again.  When you make the conscious decision to focus on the good points, rather than on all of those things that make you wanna scream.

I'm not going to lie.  Most of the time J and I are pretty good together.  It is easy to talk to him and I still thoroughly enjoy being with him.  Keeping in mind these guide-points has certainly helped our marriage.  When we disagree, it is usually short-lived and we're able to come to a resolution quickly.

All that being said, I realize how fortunate we are.  Marriage can be HARD.  Talking to your friends/sister/mom about your husband is not the same as talking directly to him about the issues you're facing.  Arguing about a situation is not the same as having a conversation about it.

I know that marriage is a fragile tapestry held together but that if there are one or two loose threads, the whole thing can quickly unravel.  A few couples we are close to are going through some difficult stuff.  We don't even begin to know the half of it.  I have such respect for them though, because they are sticking with it--for better or for worse.  It is the un-glamorous side of marriage.  The nitty-gritty, claw-your-way through side of marriage.

So on our 16th year anniversary, this is my prayer for them:
"Dry bones, listen to what the Lord is saying to you, "I the Lord God, will put breath in you, and once again you will live...My Spirit will give you breath, and you will live again.  I will bring you home, and you will know that I have kept my promise.  I, the Lord, have spoken."--Ezekiel 37: 4-5,14.

I know that their lives are testimonies for what the Lord can and is doing.  I'm claiming that prayer for them.