(This blog was first published on my "old blog" four years ago. I made a few changes, and updated the math, but some stories just need to be told time and time again.)
Today Josh and I celebrate 18 years of marriage! 18 YEARS! That's crazy! We were talking just the other day how time speeds up each and every year...and we are assuming it will continue to speed up! Life is truly but a vapor!
We have been asked several times lately to share "our story"...a few times just casually sitting in our living room...and a few nights ago to a room of 60 strangers. Each and every time I share it, I walk away in awe of the Lord...His goodness...His plan...He is worthy of ALL praise!
Every time I share, I also lay awake in the bed that night, look at this man who has journeyed with me through all these years and thank Jesus for the man he has become...for the boy that I deeply loved...for the partner he is...the husband...the dad...I am so blessed!
"Our story" began in 1992...28 years ago...at the tender age of 12. We met each other at school, became best friends, and many years later feel deeply in love. We struggled to find our way together, began our lives together, and praise the LORD, met Jesus together!
"Our story" is a story of redemption...we were saved. We were saved from a life of sin...from being "normal"...from taking the easy way... We were chosen...and we chose to obey.
"Our story" is one of adventure. If you know my husband, you know that to be true. I often think I must be so boring to a man of his audacious adventurous spirit...but then I remind myself that he needs a little stability in his craziness. We often joke that I am the brake...and he is the gas! It's true! I need to hang on most of the time.
"Our story" is one of openness. We are transparent people. We have crawled up from the pits of sin...we most likely have been there, done that, got the t-shirt, lived to tell about it, and love to share our life with people! We KNOW that God is real...that HE can save...and that HE loves! And we like to talk to people openly about it.
"Our story" is a little crazy. We sold everything we have...then we moved halfway across the world to love on people. We have a few...OK, a LOT... of kids. We like to adventure...and our adventures can often seem a little...well maybe a LOT...of crazy.
"Our story" is not normal. Josh always says, "who wants to be normal"...so we are OK with not being normal.
"Our story" is one of faithfulness. We vowed 18 years ago to build a forever life together...and we have. We are completely committed to each other...divorce is not an option. We tell each other we can either be happily married, or unhappily married...and it sucks to be unhappy...so we work really hard to make our marriage great...and while we are far from perfect, we are constantly swimming upstream.
"Our story" is one of love. We love Jesus, because praise God, He first loved us! Through His love, we love each other...deeply. We love our children, we love our life, we love our family (and miss them dearly), we love our friends and the life God has given us here in Serbia! We love...and best of all, we love together!
Happy Anniversary, Josh Hepner! I am always in awe of "Our Story"...one day I promise I will write that book that I have been talking about for years to share with the world the beautiful tale that He has created through us. I look so forward to what the next chapters hold and I will cherish the ones that have already been written!
You are my favorite! I love you! Thank you for your part in "Our Story"!
