In two days, Blake and I are officially two years into marriage. That’s 730 days. Holy moly. Sometimes it feels like a lifetime, other days it feels like we just met. But, one thing is for sure: my life is 10000 times better as Blake’s wife. And over the past two years, I’ve been blessed to walk through this new season of marriage with my best friend.
Not to brag or anything, but I have the best husband ever. Sorry, it’s true.
Without a doubt, marriage with Blake has been the the greatest blessing. Blake and I have both grown individually, and together. We’ve spent many hours connecting, laughing, praying, and making the best of memories. In all honesty, merging two lives into one makes for some pretty laughable moments!
With that said, I want to paint a real and accurate picture for y’all. Although our marriage is thriving, it is also far from perfect or easy. While we’ve experienced some really high highs, we’ve also cried and argued. Blake has seen me at my worst and I’ve seen Blake at his worst. We’ve faced some hard challenges within two years time. It may sound cliche, but it’s true: the challenging times have allowed our marriage to grow stronger and better than the day we got married. Looking back on the past two years, I can confidently say our marriage is not a result of luck. And, it’s certainly not due to the “honeymoon” phase, as some may assume. In fact, I can identify two key reasons why our marriage has succeeded in the ways it has. And no matter your relationship status- whether you’re married, single, divorced, or dating, I’m confident you will be able to resonate with these reasons, too. Because honestly, they can be applied to any marriage, relationship, future relationship, or friendship.
It’s because of these two reasons that Blake and I are more in love today, than we were two years ago. It’s why we’re able to put aside our selfish desires (most of the time) to serve each other. And, above all, it’s the reason we think marriage is the best thing ever!
1. Jesus Makes Marriage Better
Going into marriage, Blake and I already knew we wanted a marriage built on the love of Christ. But, every day since saying our vows, I’ve learned just how essential this actually is. Without Jesus, selfishness, worldly temptations, lies, and poor attitudes slowly creep into marriage. Brick upon brick is stacked until a solid wall is built, hearts are hardened, and before you know it, you no longer recognize your spouse. However, when Jesus plays an active role in marriage, there is no room for brick walls or hardened hearts. I’m just going to say it like it is: Jesus makes everything better and marriage is no exception. Jesus is the reason Blake and I can love one another selflessly and unconditionally.
Practically, prioritizing Jesus in our marriage looks like:
- Surrounding ourselves with Godly community
- Seeking Godly wisdom when we need it
- Praying, individually and together
- Studying the Bible, individually and together
- Speaking the truth, in love, to one another
There is no doubt that we are better at this in some seasons than others. But, it is always something we strive for and hold ourselves accountable to.
2. Be a Student
Never stop learning- about your spouse, yourself, and your marriage. In Blake’s self-written wedding vows, he promised to always be a student of me. And I am proud to say that he has followed through on his vows. He is the best at checking on the state of my heart, learning about my needs, and intentionally loving me well.
One of the best decisions Blake and I made is to continuously invest in our marriage. By investing, I mean intentionally working at our marriage. We’ve participated in pre-marital counseling, newlywed classes, marriage bible studies, and church community. We make it a point to stay regularly involved in this activities. Through these various opportunities, we’ve slowly gathered the tools, learned the skills, and put in the effort to help our marriage thrive. The point is: investing in your marriage or relationship is so worth it.
To wrap it up, there’s no doubt that the past two years of marriage with Blake have been the best. They’ve been full of growth, learning, and most importantly, love. Obviously, this post is a little different than the norm. So, if you made it this far, I appreciate you reading! If you don’t know already, in addition to nutrition and health, I have a strong passion for marriage. That is, Godly marriage. And, Blake and I are not shy about sharing our lessons learned, struggles, and triumphs. So, stay tuned for future marriage posts.
