Wuv...Twue Wuv

Yesterday I stopped into a local pawn shop to see what sorts of deals I could find on some items.  While I was looking around, I spotted the jewelry display case that was practically overflowing with engagement and wedding rings.  How sad.  Sitting there amidst the only building in NWA that smells smokier than a single's bar were the pathetic, shiny remnants of failed relationships.

It made me wonder, why are Rick and I still together?  We have been through some MAJOR crap, let me tell you.  The details don't really matter, but suffice it to say our marriage has taken some pretty major hits.  Somehow, our love has grown stronger when others would have called it quits.

In all honesty, it really has more to do with Jesus than anything we've done, but I thought I might try to explain how I feel about this man that I share my life with.

First and foremost, when I met Rick Hall, I knew he was not my type.  Oh sure, he's devastatingly handsome, but he had no tattoos, his jacket was not leather, and his vehicle had not only four wheels but four doors as well!  Rick Hall was the quintessential yuppie, and I...was not.  Still, there was something about him that made me stop and think, "That is a good man."  I made the decision to get to know him better, even though there weren't "fireworks" at first.  (Trust me, fireworks that take a little more time to set up...those are worth waiting for!)  

Each time we've hit a major obstacle in our marital bliss, we've made the decision to look to God for the solution, and to cling to each other for mutual support.  Jesus is the only answer, but He gave me this sweet man to walk through this life with.  When everything hits the fan, Rick takes my hand while Jesus takes the wheel.  I do my very best not to expect anything else.

Probably the very best thing about our marriage is the laughter.  This may come as a shock, but sometimes...every so often....the fireworks show is just too stinking exhausting to even think about!  Its during those times, when the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak, that a good laugh is all it takes to realign the planets and bring balance to the universe again.  No one can make me laugh like this quiet man can.  After 23 years together, there are a BUNCH of inside jokes, too.  When life wears us out, we make the decision to tickle each other's funny bones, instead of the "other" tickling...

I don't know the stories behind each of those rings in that smoky pawn shop, but I do know that the ring on my finger, that's been resized a couple of times, that doesn't get polished all that often, that sometimes sits in the jewelry box so it won't get in the way...that ring is on my finger because every day I make the decision to love my husband, and he decides to love me.  Warts and all : )