Tonight is the 6th wedding anniversary for Jen and I. I pulled out a copy of my wedding vows to her to read. A small reminder of where we’ve been and how God has been framing our journey since the early days.
When she misted up as I finished, I turned and said, “Did my poetry to you make you cry?”
To which she said, sniff, sniff, “I have allergies.”
In the immortal words of the 77′s, this is the way love is.
Jennifer –
Before God, our community, our family, I covenant with you — to be your husband. As Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, I vow to love you as my wife and give myself up for you.
I covenant to love you with the deep, wide, sustaining, mysterious, knowable love of Christ –
A love that is bold and broken A love that is graceful and firm A love that encourages and challenges A love that listens and speaks and listens and speaks and listens and speaks and listens…
I vow to trust in God for our provision while being diligent to provide for you and our family with the resources God has trusted me with. I welcome the responsibility of leading and pastoring our family in the truth of Christ — His Word, His Promises, His Practicalities.
I covenant –
To repent when I sin against you. To be slow to anger when you sin against me To teach the truth I have known To be teachable where I have a lot to learn
I covenant –
To ask your forgiveness when my pride wounds you And to be quick to forgive you when you need to be forgiven To be obedient to God — even when it is not convenient, even when it is not expedient
I vow to never leave you, nor forsake you. To care for, protect, honor, and love you for the rest of my life. I thank God, you, our community, our family, for the blessing you are to my life.
I have impatiently grumbled to God for many seasons as to what my provision would look like. On this, our wedding night, I thank God for you, my provision, and I must say before this gathering that, you look good.
I look forward, as husband and wife, to being nourished by God’s Joy through famine into laughter.
