Eleven years ago today, I wore white and held flowers and cried as I promised these words,
I, Laura, take you, Matt, to be my treasured husband. By the grace of God, I promise to respect your spiritual leadership in our home. I desire to encourage you in your dreams and to support you in whatever the Spirit calls you to do. I commit to walk in step with you, to serve you in daily life and to encourage you in your own walk with Christ as the highest priority. I desire to create a home where you are esteemed, and I commit to joyfully submit to your authority. I give you my purity and promise to be faithful to you and you alone. All that I have and all that I am I now give to you. Whatever hardships or joys may come, may I keep these vows and strive towards the perfection of them till death should part us.
And in this decade and a year, I’ve learned a few things about marriage. I’ve learned that young love is ignorant of reality, but that maybe it needs to be. I’ve learned that the demands of children, the disappointments in the path, and the grit of the daily grind can bleed out a relationship, especially over the long haul. I’ve learned that a strong marriage needs two people to fight hard on its behalf–and sometimes that battle is teeth-clenched, breathe-slowly-count-to-ten, forgive-again laden. But in the eleven years and ten moves around the world and back again (three times now), I’ve tasted the growing richness that comes from an intimacy born of time and experiences and tears and children and . . . life.
The man I just had coffee with is vastly stronger than the one I stood with at the church that day. He is more passionate, more measured, more of a leader. But, these eleven years have wrought their change on me, too. They’ve quieted me, made me a better follower, and fashioned me into more authenticity and grace. And though we are starry-eyed college students no longer, we are still madly, madly in love.
Matt Parker, yeah, I still say I do.
ALifeOverseas.com / LauraParkerBlog.com.
Destined Traveler.
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Yes! I may use your vows in a card for our 36th anniversary in June. So much to yet learn and do.
That is so cool that you kept your vows in writing so that you could review them….and how neat it is to see those vows come into action over time. I so admire your relationship as a married couple. You truly do fight for your marriage and it is a great example to me. Thank you!
D, you are amazing, friend. i miss you guys, too. hope you are enjoying the nicer weather there in CO and not missing your Ty too badly. Hang in there friend.
Thanks for all your encouraging comments!
Happy Anniversary by the way! Miss you all! Darla
Laura & Matt, We’re interested in buying your van and need to communicate with you a bit. Could you please email us?
Thank you! \
David and Polly Uher
just in case, our email address: uherstruly@hotmail.com
Laura, again, your gifted writing ability has left me teary-eyed and chuckling at the same time. Thanks for your honesty!
Julie North
Thanks, Julie. I am so grateful you are reading and more grateful that you are encouraged . . . blessings, friend.
L
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