Today, Angie and I celebrate 15 years of marriage. On my brother's 5 years anniversary of his passing, I wrote a letter to him. Here's my attempt at a letter to you Angie.
Today is 15 years. When I look back to 15 years ago, I think did we really know what we were getting into? We were just kids. We were only 22. How did we know we would make it? how did we know we were ready to spend the rest of our lives together? There really isn't anyway to know that. But we loved each other. We loved God and knew we wanted to be in ministry together and we were ready to go for it. So here we are at 15 years of living life together.
When I think of 15, I was thinking of us being 15 years old. We would have finished our freshman year of high school. We've both talked and been grateful our paths didn't cross for another 4 years. At aged 15, we probably wouldn't have gotten along. We were both sarcastic, but into our own thing. I was totally into sports, not the Lord, and living for my own thing. You were into sports, drama, and your anti-boy days. It's safe to say, we wouldn't have gotten along then. But we changed some in the next four years, met at Tabor (broke up twice, but finally got together for good our senior year) and started our life together on September 5th, 1998.
I think back to these 15 years and we really have done a lot together. We've been to a lot of cool places together. Lots of laughs. Lots of tears and in between some intense moments as we learned what living in the city, balancing ministry and raising a family is like for us. Have we totally figured it out yet?
There are so many things I'm grateful for with you. But maybe the one thing that sticks out right now, is the fact that you just put up with me and have endured with me. As I look back, I do think about our dark times. Especially our years of finishing up at Lighthouse, with your mom passing and then feeling totally burned out and then having Phil die. Those days were jard and they were filled with darkness but yet you hung in there with me.
And now you are hanging in there with my new passion and calling with revival and intensity with the Lord. You put up with my dreams for ministry, dreams for our family, and processing so many things. You are an amazing listener and know just what to say at the right moment to offer a word of wisdom or balance to what I'm expressing in my passionate rant on whatever topic.
After 15 years, we're half way there with raising Ethan and Bree until we start to release them to a new chapter of their lives. that's amazing as well to think about. We know these years are going super fast, so I guess we better put on our seat belts.
I am super excited for these next years of marriage. I feel more clear than ever about our calling. I firmly believe that we are going to see some amazing things with the Lord in the years ahead.
Let's continue pursuing the Lord with everything we have. As they say in sports, let's leave nothing on the field. let's give everything we have to the Lord and see what these years will bring.
so thanks for being on this journey with me. I love you mucho.
Matt
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