An Even More Marriage

“When I think of all this, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth.”

Ephesians 3:14-15

I was one of those little girls who dreamed about her wedding day ever since she first witnessed what a wedding was. When Pinterest came along, I had a wedding board filled with autumn colors of burgundy with a rustic, warm feeling.

It’s a little embarrassing to say, but I was one of those girls who imagined herself marrying every guy she had the slightest crush on. I had great examples of what a marriage should look like in my life, but I didn’t know what it took to entrust that dream of an “even more” marriage to the Heavenly Father who knew my deepest desires. Mistakes were made and it was apparent that I took a while to learn from those mistakes.

Thankfully, I always had a God who knew better than I did and He always had a plan to give me a marriage that would be “even more” than I could imagine. He knew that the relationships I was pursuing wouldn’t lead me to a marriage that would glorify Him. It took several years, but He finally brought me to a place of surrender that had me ready to meet the man He had designed for me from the beginning.

Richard and I have a love story that I love sharing because it has God’s guidance written all over it. We met online in July of 2017 and our first date was hiking at Red River Gorge. Yes, the first time I met this “stranger” we went on a hike in the woods. Not recommended for everyone, but it obviously worked for us!

He was 33 and I had just turned 28 when we met. Because we were older, we were both tired of relationships that weren’t focused on a common goal, and we wanted honest and open communication from the start. One way we did that was to promise to never have important conversations over the phone, but to always speak face to face when something was on our hearts. If I can offer any advice for a relationship or marriage that is “even more,” it would be to set a solid foundation for your communication from the start.

We both had the goal of our relationship being one that made each other better people physically, mentally, and spiritually. It wasn’t easy. We made mistakes, as most couples do, but we knew that we served a God of forgiveness, grace, and mercy.

We dated for about a year and a half before Richard proposed on November 25, 2018. We then set the date and got married on June 23, 2019. Our first year of marriage included the beginning of a global pandemic and both of us learning to teach while being quarantined at home. It wasn’t easy, but we relied on our goal of communicating well and trusting that God had a plan in all of this.

We’ve been married for a year and a half and are expecting our first baby, a boy, in June. (Updated: We've been married 3 years and our little boy is 1 years old!) Through it all, I can honestly say that I have seen God constantly at work in both of us. Early on in our dating relationship, we shared the belief that a Christian walk is never fully grown or mature; we will never “arrive” this side of Heaven. But a genuine walk with Christ is one that is always seeking to grow and become stronger, day by day, little by little. I have seen that growth in our marriage. Praying together wasn’t easy and a little awkward in the beginning, but now we make it a goal to pray together each morning before we leave for work. We do our best to carve out time to read the Bible and strengthen our individual relationships with Christ because we know that strengthens our marriage.

I hope that in reading our story, you are encouraged no matter the season you’re in. I pray that God spoke to you in some way and reminded you that He has “even more” planned for you than you can imagine. He has and is continuing to fulfill those plans in my life and I shudder to think where I’d be without Him.

Reflection:

1. What do you think God is saying to you when it comes to His “even more” for marriage in your life?

2. In your current season of life, how can you entrust your plans to His even greater plan of “even more” in your life?

Prayer:

Father, I thank You for the “even more” marriage that You have graced me with, despite me not deserving even a fraction of the joy it brings. I pray for every woman that reads this. I pray that no matter what season they find themselves in, You will show them all that You have for them. Bring them Godly marriages and couples that can lead them closer to You. Amen.