Giving Thanks 2010 Revisiting 2009 and Continuing / Thanksgiving

My Thanksgiving list continues.  A review of my 2009 Blog post.

2. I am thankful to be married to a man of integrity who is faithful and loves God and our family with all his heart.

                                                1987                                              2010

This year marked our 23rd anniversary.  Actually, we have known each other for 28 years.  In an age where infidelity and lack of trust are so commonplace, this is an area that I have never had to be concerned with related to my husband.  This has always been an important thing to him from the time we were married.  I remember early on when he was having lunch alone and a woman friend of mine saw him sitting by himself and plopped herself down at the same table. He was so nervous about it that he called me as soon as he got back to his office (no cell phones at that time, believe it or not) to tell me what had happened.  It was not a big deal to me since I trusted him, but oh, so important to him that he not give the appearance of evil if anyone would have seen him with another woman and heaven forbid that they should call and tell me.     

I have always felt 100% secure in our relationship, even when we were dating seriously.  Growing up, my parents and extended family had a history of marriage, divorce, remarriage, adultery, etc., etc.   My parents divorced after 25 years of marriage but had a rocky marriage for many, many years.  Perhaps that is why I waited so long to be married. (I was 31 years old.) A dear young man who loved me very much talked about us being married and I was so unnerved by it that I broke up with him soon after. Fear had the upper hand in my younger years.  In my late 20s I wondered if I would ever marry but was actually, quite content remaining single.   I'm glad that the  Lord calmed my fears in meeting and being friends with my husband for four years before we were married and that our relationship remained pure all those years.  By God's grace, our children have never had to experience the heartbreak of their parents' separation and/or divorce and are secure in knowing that my husband and I have only been married once, and that, to each other.  I am thankful that they have watched us remain together "for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health..." 

Mark 10:7-9 

“FOR THIS REASON A MAN SHALL LEAVE HIS FATHER AND MOTHER, 

AND THE TWO SHALL BECOME ONE FLESH; 

so they are no longer two, but one flesh.   

What therefore God has joined together, let no man separate.”