Seventeen years ago today, I married David Alan McGee. It was a small wedding, inexpensive.  We had neither the budget nor the desire to spend a fortune on our day. We just wanted to get married and to have our family and friends  there to watch.

We were young (21 and 27), but we knew what we were getting into. We knew marriage would be hard, that the “for worse” parts would come, but we also knew that marriage was God’s idea. We knew if we committed our marriage to Him, He would help us through the difficult times. We also knew God brought us together. We prayed about dating, we prayed while dating. I have only had a handful of moments in my life where I have heard God speaking directly to my soul. “Dave McGee is the one” is one of those moments. I have had moments of frustration, of anger, times when giving up seems easier than moving forward, but I have never once doubted that this is the man God chose for me. And because of that, we have been able to move past those difficult times, to learn from them, grow from them.

God knew that Dave and I would complement each other. Dave is very analytical. I am spontaneous. Dave plans ahead. I live in the moment. Dave is cautious. I am naive. Dave delves deeply into relationships. I tend to make do with small talk. Dave has made me think deeper, slow down, examine myself and others more. I help him have fun, relax, enjoy today. We are a good team.

So as we celebrate 17 years, I can honestly say I love Dave more today than I did on our wedding day. I know him better. I appreciate him more. We have experienced heartaches and joys, we have worked through what at times seemed like insurmountable obstacles and come out stronger. There have been many “for better” days and our share of “for worse.” And there will be more of both because we are both human and happily-ever-after takes a whole lot of work. But we are committed to working toward it, committed to each other, and committed to the God who designed us for each other.