“Heavenly Father, just as your Son blessed the wedding feast at Cana in Galilee with His presence, so now bless your children here who seek your favor. Look down upon them as their lives are about to be joined. We pray that you will weld these two hearts together and seal them with the bow of promise so that no storm of life, no temptation of the flesh shall be able to shake their faith in each other or in You. Be with them in sunshine and in shadow, in joy or sorrow, in prosperity or adversity, and may they live, so that they may be able to enjoy life everlasting. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.”
Five years ago, on the most beautiful day we could have chosen, the above prayer was spoken during our wedding ceremony. God has been so faithful to us, answering this prayer with a resounding yes.
I’m feeling overwhelmingly blessed with the husband God has given me. Stephen is my best friend, an incredible provider, an amazing father and a true inspiration to me of ways I can become a better person. He makes me laugh harder, love deeper and be braver than I could ever be on my own. His constant encouragement and faith in me has pushed me outside of my comfort zone and helped me achieve goals that I didn’t even know I had. From the earliest days of our long-distance relationship, I knew his values and priorities were in line with mine and that he would be an incredible husband and father.
Before we were married, our officiant (and long-time family friend) asked us for 15 reasons that we wanted to marry each other. I’m reading my responses right now, and every one of them is still true. Every single statement I made about the kind of man I believed Stephen to be was spot on. And I even did 16 reasons.
Photo by Charlotte Geary Photography
In the last five years, we have been on a big adventure. From the day we returned from our Hawaiian honeymoon, life changed in huge ways. I moved out of my mother’s home for the first time as a new bride. Four months later, we moved half way across the country to his home state of Colorado. A little over a year later, we tried to start our family. After two miscarriages, some lifestyle changes, and a lot of prayer, we finally experienced a healthy, successful pregnancy. After being married for three years and nine months, we welcomed our first child, a perfect son. The following fifteen months have been a journey as we navigated parenthood and the adjustment of being parents on our marriage.
Through the sunshine and the shadow, Stephen has been my rock. He’s served me and prayed for us. He’s protected me and provided for me. I couldn’t be more blessed.
And now, as we look ahead to the next five (ten, twenty, forever) years of marriage, there is so much excitement about the possibilities before us.
“Now you’re my whole life
Now you’re my whole world
I just can’t believe
The way I feel about you girl
We’ll look back someday
At this moment that we’re in
And I’ll look at you and say
And I thought I loved you then”
Quote the Rabon 