Differences

At the end of this month my husband, Tim, and I will be celebrating our 3-year anniversary. I still feel like a kid most of the time, so it’s hard to believe it’s already been as long as it has. Time flies when you’re having fun! And our marriage has definitely been fun. Truthfully though, Tim makes being married easy- he is the most consistent, intentional, and thoughtful person I know. The funny thing is, we couldn’t be any more different if we tried. When it comes to personality, interests, strengths, or activities, we are literally on opposite ends of the spectrum about 90% of the time. Here are a few examples:

Tim loves sports.

I love art.

Tim is very disciplined.

I am what we call “free-spirited.”

Tim will dress our future children in things like this:

I will dress them like this:

Tim knows what he likes.

I like to try new things.

Tim runs marathons.

Via

I run into shopping carts.

Almost…

Tim doesn't eat bread.

I plan to open a bakery.

Tim is prompt.

I am on-time if I'm lucky.

Tim hates to dance.

I dance like a crazy person.

Via

Despite our obvious differences, there is one common thread that makes our relationship congruent and complete: Jesus Christ. I know that my husband loves the Lord with all of his heart, and it is only because of that commitment that he is able to fully love me in return. I can’t imagine being married to a man with more wisdom, integrity, and patience than Tim. I am truly blessed beyond measure. But if I had never experienced the love of Jesus, and made the decision to live my life for Him, I know I would never be able to love Tim with any amount of sufficiency.  

We love because He first loved us.

So yes, sometimes we don’t “get” each other, and maybe we can only count our mutual interests on one hand. But our marriage works because we recognize that fulfillment is found in Christ alone. It doesn’t mean we’re perfect or we don’t face challenges. But it does mean that when Christ is our everything, we are free to love each other simply because it glorifies Him, and not because we have to earn each other's affection. I can't think of a better reason to celebrate an anniversary!