25 Years and 18 Hours

“You have my sword, and if by my life or death I can protect you, I will.” – Aragorn

Ephesians 5:25-30 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her, so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless. So husbands ought also to love their own wives as their own bodies. He who loves his own wife loves himself; for no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ also does the church, because we are members of His body.


Twenty-five years ago today I married a blonde Aragorn. No, he hasn’t battled Orcs or Black Riders, but he has the heart of an Aragorn nonetheless.

A few years ago a young friend of ours surprised us by telling us he was planning on asking a certain young lady to be his wife. What were our thoughts, he wanted to know. Tim asked several questions, and then went to the nub. “_____, do you love ______ enough to die for her? I don’t necessarily mean physically die, though you should be willing if it came to that, but as her husband you will be called to die in other ways.”

The more I’ve thought about that conversation, the more I have realized that in large measure the reason Tim and I have such a terrific marriage is due to his obedience to Scripture in this area as in others. Over and over again I see in Tim’s life a courageous determination to do what is right, regardless of the personal cost. This is true in all realms of his life – in his business, in serving the church as an elder, in loving and training our children. And when it comes to loving me as Christ loves the church, he excels. Never in our twenty-five years have I had reason to doubt that for a nanosecond. When necessary Tim has died to his own desires and dreams as he has shouldered the load the Lord has given him. Often there has been great joy, but at times also disappointment with the roads that were not able to be followed. I thank God for my Aragorn who has not shirked the hard things of life.

Last night as our family was gathered for devotions, Tim and I looked at each other across the room. “Could you ever have imagined this 25 years ago?” We shook our heads in amazement at the good gifts the Lord has given to us in each other and our children. I wonder what the next 25 years will bring?

OK – So here’s the 18 hour bit:
For years we’d planned to celebrate our 25th anniversary by biking somewhere on the British Isles. The nearer the date approached, the more we realized that this was not going to be a good idea this year. Our little guy, Ben, is just too dependent still on Mom and Dad, and leaving him in the care of his oldest sisters, who would also have to watch all the others seemed a recipe for disaster. Added to this, Tim has been running crazy with work, and clearly August was out. Maybe next December, though we have our doubts. Our 30th anniversary sounds more reasonable.

Anyway, what we ended up doing was sneaking away for 18 glorious hours to Brown County State Park where we stayed in a “rustic cabin.” The highlight (at least the part I can write about) for both of us was mountain biking the new trails in the park. And while it may not have been cycling around Ireland, it still got our hearts pumping and our adrenaline running as we pedaled through the beautiful woods of the park. We also enjoyed an evening hike, a lovely dinner, and sleeping where no little person could join us.

Happy anniversary, my beloved!