22 Years and Counting

On January 28, Doug and I celebrated 22 years since we stood before family and friends and committed to love one another no matter what life threw our way "until death do we part."

Doug and I are different in many ways: he's a "wake up with the sun" morning person and I find the nocturnal life more appealing. He's an incurable optomist and I am forever seeing the clouds behind the silver lining. He the spontaneous "live the moment" kind of guy and I am the deliberate "lets plan for 5 years" organizer. He's the typical Canadian who wants to be on time even for a party. I am the typical Filipino who thinks if we come on time, even the host will not be dressed yet. He likes to keep drawers and cabinets closed. I open them and think they will close by themselves. Vacations and family time together is always a priority for him. If it were up to me, our family holidays will consist of renting a movie and eating popcorn. Nothing is too expensive for someone he loves. I am always adding pesos in my head when I receive anything. Have I even mentioned humor? Filipino humor holds nothing sacred. Filipinos love to laugh at anything and everything and they don't care at whose expense. Canadians would never laugh when someone slips on a banana peel. Now you know what a Filipino would do. (I learned very early on in our marriage that I needed a drastic pradigm shift in this area if I wanted to stay married to Doug!)

Someone once said, when two people who are so different marry, it proves that God has a sense of humor. I have a funny feeling, God was rolling on his sides when I said yes to Doug's proposal!

Despite our differences, somehow we found love and love has kept us together all these years. I am grateful for his committment to me and to our family. This year, he gave me a card that simply said: I'd choose you all over again. Despite the difficult, uncertain, challenging times, his choice would still be me. What a comfort, what an anchor for my soul that knowledge is. I can continue to count on him to stand with me, walk me through and stick it out until we get to the other end.

Let me let you in on a secret: when we were on our honeymoon, Doug and I memorized scripture. Tell me: how many couples do you know did this?! We memorized James chapter 1. I remember not being very comfortable with the choice since the word "trials" appears right at verse 2. But in retrospect, the verses have become very meaningful to me personally and to us as a couple and a family. I found the version in The Message by Eugene Peterson quite interesting:

Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don't try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you can become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way.

If you don't know what you're doing, pray to the Father. He loves to help. You'll get his help, and won't be condescended to when you ask for it. Ask boldly, believingly, without a second thought. People who "worry their prayers" are like wind-whipped waves. Don't think you're going to get anything from the Master that way, adrift at sea, keeping all your options open... (verses 2-8)

Anyone who meets a testing challenge head-on and manages to stick it out is mighty fortunate. For such persons loyally in love with God, the reward is life and more life...(verse 12)

So, my very dear friends, don't get thrown off course. Every desirable and beneficial gift comes out of heaven. The gifts are rivers of light cascading down from the Father of Light. There is nothing deceitful in God, nothing two-faced, nothing fickle. He brought us to life using the true Word, showing us off as the crown of all his creatures. (verses 16-18)

For sure, our faith has been tested through the various experiences we've had as a couple. We are thankful for the Father's ever present grace and mercy through the years. We pray that we will always be loyal in our love for God and look forward to a reward of "life and more life."

I am thankful for the first 22 years and trust that the Lord will grant me more years so that I can grow old with my honey.