I came home from a double shift at the pharmacy the other night to find a vase (more accurately, a Sparkling Cider bottle left over from Easter) of daffodils and a single tulip.
“What are these from?” I asked my husband.
Seriously, it wasn’t one of my finer moments. I was tired and couldn’t make sense of how the flowers had appeared. My husband rarely got me flowers–and if he did it was for Valentine’s or our anniversary, usually prompted by a not-so-subtle hint from yours truly. And pick flowers? He’d never done something that sweet.
“I saw them in a field at work and thought you’d like them.”
“You picked these? For me?”
He nodded, and I threw my arms around his neck, telling him how it was the nicest thing he could have done for me.
These flowers were better than any birthday or anniversary gift because they were a tender thought in the midst of busy life—love in the everyday.
We don’t do this enough sometimes, and the other day, my husband showed me that. He’s not perfect. I’m not perfect. We’ve had our fair share of fights. During one particularly tough time, I once even asked him to move back into his parents’ house so we could have some space. He did. He was back before the end of the week…at my request.
Marriage is crazy. It can be messy and ugly. It has more ups and downs than the wildest rollercoaster at Disney.
But I know something else: marriage can be beautiful. It can be precious. When not taken for granted but lived out intentionally, it can be a glorious picture of a more perfect love that God has for us.
My most recent characters, Sarah and Matt, are in the messy part of marriage. A very ugly part. They’ve lost faith in one another, and faith in the vows they took seventeen years earlier. Both are looking to put their love elsewhere. Their story is dear to my heart, and I’ve loved hearing how it’s touching the hearts of you, dear readers, as well.
Thank you for being alongside me on this beautiful, crazy journey. It would be nothing without you all.
