I woke up with the jitters, which is not normal for me. As the morning passed I was so unsettled, I couldn’t even eat a cracker. The moment was almost too sacred for me to handle.

But then the clock struck 2:00 o’clock and I saw her.

She wore white, flashed a radiant smile, and held back the moisture that welled up in her beautiful eyes.

I realized that day there is a reason they call it “Holy Matrimony.” A covenant is made between a man and a woman. God shows up. Vows are recited. Women cry. Men fight to hold back tears. A family begins.

Twenty-five years ago today it happened for me.

Marriage has been amazing, rewarding, challenging, and even frustrating at times. I have learned that to have a first class relationship,

you have to be willing to pay the price. But like a traveler who boards a plane, desiring to sit in first class yet settling for coach, I know many who settle for mediocrity at home.

If twenty-five years have taught me anything, they have taught me it is worth the extra fare to upgrade and to pursue a great marriage. That I made the right decision when I said I do. That faithfulness matters. And that life was not meant to be lived alone.

Till death do us part was more than just something to say. It

was a vow I made to God. One I intend to keep. In fact, I tell her all the time that if she ever leaves me, I’m going with her.

Here’s to twenty-five of the best years a guy could ever ask for, and a sense of anticipation toward the future.

So Happy Anniversary to me . . . and to the woman I still like to sneak behind the bushes with.

i2i,

Randy

What is the most important characteristic of a great marriage?

Comments?