Ten Years and Counting

To my dear Husband,

I love you.  I love you more now than ever.

A love like this is not based upon mere feelings.
It is founded in Christ, who brought us together,
And was our witness 10 years ago as we committed ourselves
To spend the rest of our lives with each other,
To the exclusion of all others.

We have weathered much in the last 10 years. 

We have seen joys we couldn’t describe,
And pain we wouldn’t wish to have again,
Pain I wouldn’t change for the world. 
In the good times and bad, our relationship has been strengthened. 
God has continued to bless us as we’ve walked with him, Hand in Hand.
I am thankful for the good and the bad. 
I am blessed to be your wife. 
When we are apart, I realize my love for you in my longing to be together again. 
Even after 10 years, my heart still soars when I hear your footsteps approach,
When I hear the door open and your voice call ‘I’m home!”
I may not show it, but it is there.

Over the years I may have become overly critical.

For that I apologize, and I will do my best to remember that you are not me,
Which is what drew me to you to begin with.
You complement me perfectly,
It is in our differences where we flourish as a couple.
As a family.

I am thankful for your generosity,

Your gifts of helps,
You have pushed me over the years to accept myself and grow myself
Because of your strengths, I am no longer afraid to be myself
I can be the person God made me without fear of criticism.

I am thankful for your silent strength,
Your acceptance of all of me,
Even if one day you come home to a disaster
As I am hitting a creative streak
And the next I’m in a whirlwind of cleaning
Striking fear into any who may cross my path.
You weather my tumult of emotions with strength. 
God knew what He was doing when he placed you into my life.

My dear Husband, I love you.

I love you more now than I ever thought I could love another.
I may not always say it, and I may not always show it
But I want you to know that you are the only one for me. 
You are the only one I want to spend my life with.
If I don’t say or do things like I did when we were first married
I want you to know it is because I am so comfortable with you
That I cannot picture my life without you.

Thank you for choosing me. 
Thank you for marrying me 10 years ago today.
I praise the Lord for all He has brought us through together,
And I accept the challenges, joys, and grief that we have yet to face
Because we will face them together.
Thank you for being my reliable rock,
My partner in crime,
My loving husband.

I love you,
Forever and for always,
With God as my witness,
For better or worse,
Richer or poorer,
In sickness and health,
Until death do us part.