10 Years of Choosing to Say Yes

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My hair was curled, my makeup was done, and my fingernails were clean and painted.

We drove to our college town where we would be returning to classes in a few weeks and spent the hours of drive time talking about our dreams and how nice it would be to be back in the same town after a long-distance relationship over the summer. By the time we drove into town it was late afternoon and he said we’d have to hurry. We turned onto the gravel road that led to The Cliffs, one our favorite places. As we pulled into the parking area, he said we had better hike quickly if we were going to see the sunset from the top.

After a short but steep hike, we were at the top enjoying the exquisite view of the Ponderosa pine covered hills against the setting sun with a thunderstorm far in the northwest portion of our view. As breath-taking as the view was, it was nothing compared to the moment when he went onto one knee and asked me to be his wife. I may have shrieked a little and, of course, said yes.

That was 10 years ago today.

Choosing to say, “Yes,” on August 3, 2007 was a no-brainer. I knew without a doubt that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with that man through good times and bad. When I said, “Yes,” we didn’t really have a clue how much marriage would require of us. We were just two twenty year old kids full of dreams and unrealistic expectations we didn’t even realize we had.

Now a decade later as I sip my coffee and reflect on those ten years, I think of the many joyous times we’ve had together…the addition of each of our three children, ministering to others together, trips, laughter, fostering children, adventures shared, and dreams come true.

But there have also been many hard times…arguments, hurts that hurt even after forgiveness has been granted, moves that were difficult, pride and selfishness that put barriers between us. Not exactly what the 20 year old kids had in mind as we sat at the top of The Cliffs with what seemed like the whole world before us. However, God never promised us easy. Instead, Jesus said that in this world we would have trouble (John 16:33). If marriage is an image of Christ’s love for us and our response to him, doesn’t it stand to reason that Satan would work overtime to bring strife into marriages and divide them?

Choosing to say, “Yes,” every day since our wedding is the only option because that is what I vowed to do, and sometimes love is far more a choice than a feeling. Saying, “Yes,” is what Christ chose when he laid down his life for us, and is the choice he calls us to as we put love in action.

“And greater love has no man than that he lay down his life for his friends.” John 15:13

When I said “Yes,” to joining my hubby in marriage, I was giving of myself to him. I was laying down my life to be joined with him in a new life together. The marriage vows may have been said only one time, but the choice to lay down my own life is one that I must make daily, or my own selfish ambition and pride will crowd out the love and respect I am to show my husband.

Yesterday, we took a spontaneous trip back to The Cliffs in honor of it being ten years since the proposal. We loaded up our three children and drove three and a half hours. This time my hair was air dried, I had no makeup, and my fingernails still bore the now-chipped blue from when our daughter painted them. Somehow, getting three our three children out the door for an unplanned trip took precedence over primping. The hike to the top was quite a bit slower as we matched the pace of our three year old. We didn’t go quite as close to the edge of the cliff, but the view was still spectacular. In fact, the view was even more so than it was ten years ago when everything was “perfect” because it was filled with more people I love. As I watched my hubby lead the way with the one year old on his back, carefully guiding us up the steep hill, I knew without a doubt that I would say, “Yes,” all over again and will continue to choose to say “Yes” each day from now until death do us part.

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