Today is Craig and my 6th anniversary. Six years ago today I went through the temple and was sealed for time and all eternity to a wonderful man.
I had NO idea what family was all about. I don't think anyone really can until you have one of your own. Wedding days are always a rush, but I remember a lot of wonderful things about that day. I remember waking up before the sun rose in a sleeping bag in the basement of Craig's parents house the morning of the wedding with sheer panic. The first time in our entire engagement that I was nervous about getting married. And then remembering the sweet peaceful feelings I had when I knew that God had directed me to this man, that all the events in our life had brought us together so that we could start a family together. I remember plucking my eyebrows in the car on the way to the temple with Craig driving and also pulling over to make sure that I had my temple recommend with me (the one thing you HAVE to have on your wedding day and I forgot to make sure I had it- luckily it was in my bag and we drove on). I remember being in the bridal room in the temple with my mother, the only member of my family who could be there for the ceremony. She was crying. She cried through the whole thing. I remember the intense feelings of gratitude I had for her in the bridal room, so she could help me make it to the temple and be worthy to enter into a celestial marriage with my husband. I remember the temple sealer, my old college roommate's husband's grandfather. He's a music man. He talked about "harmony" in marriage and I felt the significance of the choice I was making and I felt a strong assurance at his words that Craig was the man I was meant to be with, to enter into the kingdom of God with. I remember the soft touch of Craig's hand as he held it at the altar, and remember the sweet finality of our answers to the temple sealer's questions. And that was it. We were married. Husband and wife. For time and all eternity. I remember hugging all the people I loved in that room, seeing my grandfather's nephew and his wife, who happened to live in Castle Rock, and who came to the ceremony because my grandparents could not and humbly whispered to me as they left that my grandparents were proud of me and that they were representing them there today. I watched as Craig shed tears of gratitude hugging his parents as they made their way around the circle and I loved him and his sweet parents all the more, both of them, for getting him there to the temple with me that day. I remember walking out of the temple and feeling a sweet nudge and whisper from Craig to go find my Dad and give him a hug (like he needed to tell me), and I remember leaving Craig and pushing people out of the way until they parted and I found him and hugged him and felt his loving fatherly embrace and I cried with him. I remember the genuine smiles of my brother and sister, their support and love shining in their faces and the gratitude I felt for their sincere friendship. And I remember the love I had for all my new brothers and sisters. A new family. These are moments that I cherish, that are gems in my memory for looking back on and pulling out and smiling at.
And I remember Craig. My husband. My best friend. Six years is not a long time, but I don't look at our love in measurements of minutes or days or years, I look at it in measurements of it's unselfish value in my life. How wonderful it is that God created man and woman, for each other, meant to be bound together in marriage ordained by Himself forever. We compliment each other to the tee. We were made for each other, not in a soul-mate kind of way, but in a physical, emotional, and spiritual way. And such beautiful blessings He bestows on those who keep those covenants and promises they make to their spouse and love them forever. Craig is someone who was made for me, made to make me stronger, to make me dig deeper, made for me to serve unselfishly my whole life. God designed service to bless the lives of those who give it, who work in His work, and a spouse is someone with whom you can always serve, always receive those blessings for, and I can't count the many times I have let my selfish guard fall in service to my husband, and he to me, and we have both felt the abounding blessings of His love on us for it. We have worked together and shed layers I'm sure neither of us believed we could shed and made each other better people (that in only six years, and we've got a long road ahead of us still, I can't imagine what further blessings could possibly come in the years ahead). That is the divine purpose of any relationship on earth, especially a marriage relationship, a family relationship.
I have no doubt that if we continue on the path that we both are on right now, continue in faith and service and growth and repentance and humilty and charity, we will enter into God's presence, hand in hand, and be able to stand before God and have him echo those eternal words, "Enter ye into my rest". That is why I love Craig so much, because I love God so much.
Happy six years, baby, here's to eternity.
By the way, celebrating with myself tonight cause Craig is up in the mountains with the youth in our ward for youth conference. Woot! :-)
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