Marriage Monday: Just as we are.

I have had quite a few conversations this week with people at all different stages.. Newly dating, married, struggling through their career, etc. In most of those conversations one of the major struggles is the hard stuff. But not just because it is hard. Mostly because it looks different that the what others are navigating. And that is probably mostly because we can't see their hard stuff.

I just saw photos added "5 years ago" on Facebook from when Charles and I were first hanging out - before we were "anything". This got me thinking back on our dating journey. Our story was unique, as each. But often times we question things because they don't look like what someone else is experiencing or has experienced.

Sometimes the temptation is to think I should be more like someone else, or that my husband should be more like someone else. Of course there is always room for us to grow as individuals and as a couple. But when I compare, criticize and start to expect myself or my husband to me more like someone else he gently and yet firmly invites in grace and content. I am me and he is he. We are we. This is our relationship and our journey.

I hope with each decade of marriage we look back and see that we've believed in the person each other is. I hope with each decade we embrace the moments/seasons of messy and the journey God has us on. I hope that with each decade I learn to lead with grace more like my husband.

I imagine the more I learn to trust Jesus as the person he has created me to be, the more I can roll with the punches and love people as they are, especially my husband.

He reminds me to take a deep breath.
Here's to our journey.
And here's to yours.

Lead with grace.

One of the first photos we took together:

2015:

*Note added by the husband: often these post are basically fresh conversations in the Stoicu home. So, welcome to our journey.