“Choose your love and love your choice.” - Amish Proverb Suzanne Woods Fisher’s Mother

I read this on Friday and thought how appropriate to read this on our anniversary. Isn’t that what we do? We choose the love of our life and it is a choice to continue loving that person. This quote went right along with one of the two movies we watched Friday night after we went out to dinner and a round of mini golf, which by the way was a lot of fun! The 16th hole was so bad for me that I had 12 shots and set Robert under a pine tree to retrieve my golf ball! I had been winning up until that hole. Let’s blame mosquitoes and a pregnant woman’s need for the “ladies room” on my poor ending….hmmmm….

The movie that went along with the quote was, The Wager, starring Randy Travis and Candace Cameron Bure. Randy Travis plays an oscar nominated actor in the movie whose life quickly takes on a downward spiral due to circumstances and situations quite beyond his control. And the above quote would be a perfect quote for Randy and his wife in the movie.

This movie was about trials life throws our way. It is about the valleys we hit and our response to them and to God. It is also about the victory we have in Christ when He brings us through to the darkness and into the light at the end of those trials. No matter what we are going through, the Lord is there for us. He has a greater purpose for our lives than our finite minds can fathom.

We rated the movie 4 out of 5 stars. We really enjoyed it. I cried but my hormones are raging and any movie these days will cause the tears to flow!

My husband thought it was a good movie. He liked the fact that there was no nudity, no offensive language and it had a good positive message, and that the characters and their problems were realistic.

In a day when commitment/vows to one’s spouse is not always taken seriously and the divorce rate is 50%, it seems reasonable to do a little bit of reflection when anniversary time rolls around. Anyone married knows that marriage has its mountain tops and valleys, but what gets couples through those valleys? I think for Christians, the Lord Jesus Christ is the One who helps couples stick together. Secondly, both people in a marriage have to be completely committed to each other through good times and bad. Thirdly, couples have to have communication lines wide open so the little stuff doesn’t pile up and grow into big stuff that has had time to fester and grow.

In some ways it is amazing that we have been married as long as we have been, yet in other ways it seems like such a short time ago we were getting married in a small country church. We are thankful for the years we’ve had together and pray for many more to come.