Today is one of the special anniversary days that Papa Bear and I celebrate. It's not our wedding anniversary but another special day that we like to remember every year. Papa Bear had to work today so we haven't done anything very different to mark the occasion, but we are going to spend the evening having fun with a DVD movie and some snacks in front of the TV! The cubs are busy at a fellowship evening tonight, so it has worked out nicely for our date night! And as it is Tuesday's Time To today, I thought I'd start our evening by devoting this week's post to our special day.
A time to plant ... one of the things that Papa Bear and I would love to do if we ever get to have our own garden is to have a rose garden. We'd like a kitchen garden too with vegetables, fruit and herbs, but as well as this we'd really like a rose garden, full of beautiful old-fashion scented roses - some especially chosen for their personal significance to us. If you look at the rose catalogues that are available online or in most garden centres, you will see that the names of the roses are often absolutely delightful and of course there is nothing like the colour, scent and shape of a rose ... one of God's most beautiful creations. In the meantime, we enjoy our kitchen windowsill garden (the basil is doing beautifully, but the cilantro was not so happy!) and some gorgeous artifical roses around our home, that almost look like the real thing.
A time to heal ... when we made our marriage vows before God, we promised to love and cherish each other in sickness and in health. To us, that means sharing the burden of suffering when one of us is unwell so that through our marriage union we might support each other and help to heal each other back to good health. We have been through some very challenging times with illness during our marriage, but by God's grace, we have been blessed recently by much better health, and we are sure that this is in part due to our commitment and caring for each other, which has strengthened us and helped us to stay well, and has grown our trust in our Father God too.
A time to laugh ... Papa Bear asked me to share this funny tale with you today! I've been talking quite a bit about fishing on the blog recently, and he thought it would be a timely opportunity today to confess to one of the funniest things I've ever said in his presence! So here goes ... Not long after we were married, I was pleased to be able to accompany my wonderful husband on a day's fishing trip with 2 of his brothers and some cousins. Eager to impress, I decided to show as much interest and knowledge as I could (although in truth this didn't amount to very much - I barely knew one end of a fish from the other!). It was a beautiful day and I really enjoyed sitting with Papa Bear and the other menfolk and their wives, watching as they endeavoured to outdo each other with their catch. At one point someone managed to reel in quite a large fish, and we gathered round in a group to admire it. Papa Bear's brother commented on what a wonderful fish it was, and said that he thought it must be at least 3 or 4. This greatly impressed me.
"Wow, you must be a very experienced fisherman", I said in amazement. "How on earth can you tell how old a fish is, just by looking at it?"
I can still hear everyone's laughter ringing in my ears!
It wasn't the AGE of the fish he was estimating - it was its WEIGHT! He he! Papa Bear still reminds me of that one every time we go for a walk round the lake!
A time to embrace ... oh! It goes without saying that when it's an anniversary day, it's also a time to embrace! What better way to show you love each other? Better still, today it is grey, cold, windy and rainy, so it is perfect "huggling" weather! I'm so glad I have my big warm Papa Bear to keep me cosy while we watch our film together!
A time to keep ... every time we have an anniversary, we give each other cards and sometimes also gifts, depending on the occasion. Although I don't like to keep too much clutter, I do hang onto the special cards Papa Bear gives me (and the ones the cubs give me too). Each one represents a different precious memory, and I have a special "memory box" that I keep them in. Every so often I'll get them out and look at them, and smile as I remember all the good times we've had together as a couple, and as a family, and think joyfully of all the good times yet to come, too!
A time to sew ... eeek! I STILL haven't finished our anniversary embroidery. I have it all ready to work on, in the cupboard under the stairs, but every time I sit down and think "now I can get on with some craft work" there is always another project that seems more urgent! I wonder if I'll have it done in time for NEXT year's anniversary!
A time to speak ... sometimes actions speak louder than words. Papa Bear does so many sweet things for me - I love coming upstairs when I am tired in the evenings to find that he has already run me a bath. It makes me feel so loved and cherished and appreciated! Yesterday when I did this, he had not only run the bath, but poured in some new bubblebath for me - scented with Estee Lauder's Beautiful (to match the perfume that the cubs gave me for Mother's Day). What a wonderful surprise! Aren't I a lucky Mama Bear? And I like to do the same for him - on cold days like today, I always put his change of clothes and his slippers (we don't wear shoes indoors) on the radiator to warm up, so when he comes home from work shivering and soaked to the skin they are there ready and waiting for him, and today when he did this - there were new slippers to put on! It's small things like this that say "I love you", just as much as the grand gestures.
A time to love ... I love you SO MUCH, Papa Bear! Each day that I spend as your wife, I find something else to love about you, and I love you a little bit more. I thank God for bringing us together, and for making every moment of our marriage a precious one to cherish - the hard times as well as the good. By His grace may we have many, many more anniversaries to celebrate ahead!
A time of peace ... of course, every marriage brings with it challenges. For us as a couple, one of those challenges has been learning patience, and accepting God's will for us, even when this may seem to be quite at odds with our desires. When we first married we were delighted to become parents so quickly afterwards - and then again with equal speed! We were so sure that we would easily have a huge brood of children to cherish within a matter of a few years. But it never happened. We have waited on God to bless us with another baby for a very long time now, and it has taken a great deal of prayer and tears and talking to come to a place of total acceptance - and peace - with His plan for us as parents. We may not have our huge brood of children, and although we will never give up praying that God may desire for us to have more, we are so grateful, happy and content with the 2 wonderful children that we have been blessed with. We know this is God's plan for us, and this knowledge in itself gives us great peace.
