I DO!...ut oh..what did I do!!!

You finally found "the one", he's perfect in every way.  You spend every waking moment when you must be away from him, dreaming, thinking about the next time you get to embrace each other again.  Then comes the words "I love you" and before you know it your saying "I Do".  You only see joy, love and happiness spending the rest of your life with this man that makes you feel like the most important person in his life.  You move in with each other and now your ready to live happily ever after.  This of course sounds more like a fairytale but regardless of how it plays out this is pretty much what it feels like during the honeymoon phase. 

I was fifteen years old when I found "the one" and being as young as I was I had no idea what was in store for us.  I fell so deeply in love with him almost immediately there was nothing anyone could say to take me off of my love high.  I met him through my boy friend, and yes this sounds horrible but it happened and to this day I have no regrets.  Besides, my boy friend at the time was way too possessive and I never even considered a future with him.  In fact at that time we weren't together but he wouldn't leave me alone.  My mom didn't help either by allowing him to still come over and visit all because she had grown to like him.  I guess I probably shouldn't refer to this person as a boy friend when things happened with his friend, even though in his mind he believed we were.  

I would have never thought that my life would change so suddenly and I wasn't prepared for what would happen next.  I didn't think anything of taking a pregnancy test because I never thought I could get pregnant.  I was too young to have a baby so my thinking back then was, it's not possible.  Both pregnancy test read positive and I was pregnant.  Things got very complicated and ugly for a time so I contemplated abortion.  I cringe even at the thought of aborting my baby even now, but I thank God I did not follow through with.  Things started happening so fast but eventually ex boy friend left me alone and me and his friend starting dating. 

This was baby number two for him and he was only eighteen.  He was scared and had to immediately start thinking of how he would take care of two kids, so he joined the military.  He asked me to marry him on Christmas day in 1996 and were married by the Justice of the Peace in May 1997.  We've been together now for fifteen years and married for thirteen.  Our oldest son is fifteen years old and we have a seven year old, a five year old, and a three year.  These past thirteen years have been the hardest years so far of my life.  I've wanted to quit, walk away, run away and never come back but I'm still here.  My husband has also wanted to walk away and never look back but he's still here to.  It's obvious that we love each other but love is just not enough.  It has taken  patience, long suffering, perserverance, humility and God to overcome our obstacles in this marriage. 

 Acorrding to Jean Warren Lindsay the author of Teen Age Couples: Caring, Change, and committment.  More then sixty percent of teen marriages will fail within five years.  This percentage is probably the reason why me and my husband are always asked how did we make it this far.  No one thought we would in our hometown and they all let it be known but, it can be done and it has-my story is proof! Not only have we made it this far but we also renewed our wedding vows and had the big wedding we always dreamed of last July.  I plan to share all of what we've gone through for the last thirteen years but please do not think this was easy because it was not even close.  There were too many times to count where I was asking my self "what did I do?!?" Why did I marry this man and how could I have made such a decision at such a young age. 

We will always have our struggles and I know there will be times where there are feelings of hopelessness but I vowed two times now that I would stay with my husband through the good and the bad times, through sickness and in health, until death do us part.  The bible says in Ecclesiastes 5:5 It is better not to vow than to make a vow and not fulfill it.  If you are married and have reached a point where you feel hopeless I'm here to tell you that there is hope.  If I can do it you can to and we can do it together.  : )

Scripture verse:  1 Corinthians 7:10-11 To the married I give this command (not I, but the Lord): A wife must not separate from her husband. But if she does, she must remain unmarried or else be reconciled to her husband. And a husband must not divorce his wife. 

Prayer: Father in heaven I pray that you bless all of my sisters out there that might be ready to give up.  Replace their hopelessness with your promises for their lives and mend their broken hearts.  Speak to each one according to their needs and give them peace.  The bible says nothing is impossible with you so let this be their focus for now Lord.  I thank You for what you have done in our lives and what You plan to do.  In Jesus' name Amen. 

There is hope.....