Seven Year Itch or Seven Years Rich?

This week I was listening to a local Christian talk radio show and the topic was the Seven Year Itch in marriage. It caught my attention because just around the corner Andy and I will celebrate our 7th Anniversary. For some reason, this seems like a significant milestone. Maybe because of the very saying titled in the message I heard. I found it interesting as I listened to a husband and wife of thirty plus years talk about how often, around year seven, disillusionment sets in for at least one of the spouses in a marriage. In this particular case, it was the wife. She described her feelings of uncertainty. She expressed her thoughts as she wondered what in the world she'd done and who was this strange man she was sleeping next to. She discussed her fears of "what if?"...what if this man finds out who I really am? And worse, what if he finds out and DOESN'T like me? I found her candid dialogue so interesting and refreshing. And honestly, I could completely identify with much of what she was saying. Except for the fact that those thoughts and feelings occured for me much earlier in my marriage and quite frankly took me and us down a fairly rocky road because of it. But God, in his overwhelming grace, brought us through that. Not without battle scars and deep wounds but with those have come a depth and a security in our marriage that I wonder if we would have ever found otherwise. In our wedding vows, I "received Andy as God's perfect provision for me". As a starry eyed bride I probably had different ideas of what that perfect provision looked like. But as a lightly seasoned wife, there are no words to express how deeply grateful I am for His provision for me in my sweet husband. His perfect provision. Daily I am challenged as I watch Andy's dear and tender heart serve me; putting my needs, wants and desires above his own. Sacrificing himself for me. He is the most kind and generous man I know. His grace abounds toward me. His forgiveness quick and complete. Is it just me or does this sound like someone else I know? Someone who suffered not only an excruciating road to His death but the worst pain of all, separation from the fellowship of His Father...all because of His love for me. Yes, Jesus Himself is truly my perfect provision. But how very wonderful of Him to give me a husband who looks and loves so much like Him. So, as I stand on the cusp of completing this 7th year I have a sense of relief. A renewed appreciation. A grateful heart that I not only love Andy far more today than I did seven years ago but I also really like him. I'm left not at all feeling an itch but on the contrary feeling very, very rich.