Persevere

Recently my sweet husband gave me the greatest compliment. I asked him if I looked okay and his words were, "Yeah, you look great. And Erin, you have never looked as good as you do now at this time in your life." I melted and swooned, and then we laughed because I could have definitely taken that as an insult...I mean, what was he trying to say about how I looked 5 years ago!

Mike and I have spent a decade of our lives together. We started dating in March of 2001 and got married in June 2006. I can honestly say the time that I have spent with him has been the time of my life. I knew before our first date that I would marry him and I am so grateful that the Lord set him a part for me. Mike loves me completely and totally for who I am--blond moments and all! And in return, I love him completely and totally for who he is--football obsession and all.

However, marriage isn't always peaches and cream, and I think if marriage requires one thing of us it is perseverance. In our society today it is too easy to get married and definitely too easy to get divorced. Our culture looks for an easy way out and doesn't make any excuses for it. However, the Scriptures tell us something different...

...suffering produces perseverance;  perseverance, character; and character, hope...

-Romans 5:3b-4. 

Perseverance is something that the Lord has taught me a lot about in the last several years--not necessarily about persevering in my marriage, but in other areas of my life. I can only pray that through my perseverance that I have developed character and a hope that reflects my Lord.