Jul

Anniversary Reflections: Our Years Together

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Me and Cinderella - isn't she beautiful?

Warning this blog is a little long and PG13.

July 1, 2009 – today, Christy and I celebrate 14 years of marriage. There was a year of friendship/dating and a year engagement prior to being married on July 1st, 1995. We have been together now for 16 years! Anyone who would put up with me that long is a saint! Christy is my first round draft pick and providentially God gave me more and better than I deserve. (Doesn’t He always?)

Love at first sight… I first saw Christy at a “block party” while in school at Middle Tennessee State University. She was standing between me and the keg. (Needless to say not the recommended way to meet your spouse.) My jaw dropped and my heart fluttered. I told her that night that she was a perfect mix between Jodie Foster and Reba McEntire.

She kissed me first… unlike other girls, I immediately knew Christy was different. I was frozen from any romantic suggestion. So, after a few months of dating SHE KISSED ME! Later, I found out that she used that kiss as a measurement of whether or not she should continue seeing me. (Again, these are pre-Christian days for both of us… and not recommended relational instructions.) Good news… I must have passed the test!

We were married… on July 1st, 1995 and honeymooned in Atlanta, Ga. I went to work as a football coach / teacher (in that order) and she was a freelance make-up artist for Lancome. We almost didn’t survive the first year, or the second, or the third… no foundation. Our marriage wasn’t Christ-centered. It was rough.

Then came Jesus… on June 1st, 1998 starting at a funeral (Ecclesiastes 7:2) and ending in a parking lot with a good friend who knew enough to point me to Jesus, I surrendered everything! I was born-again. 1 week later I was added to a local church (now called Bethel Murfreesboro), 1 month later I was filled with the Holy Spirit, and 1 month more water baptized at the good ol’ YMCA.

The Cross changes everything! My personal transformation transformed my marriage… what saved me – saved my marriage – the grace of God! We owe much gratitude to our first pastors… Franco & Mary Lou Gennaro, Paul & Aleta Barker, and Ron David and Nancy Moore. We were difficult disciples – raw with lots of baggage!

Better with age… Since that moment of surrender, every year, month, week, day, hour, minute, second gets better! We are blessed with 5 incredible kids and our house is a home. Today, we celebrate 14 years! We give thanks to God for rescuing us and bringing us together. The life we are living is better than the one we could have scripted. Are there not “speed bumps?” Of course. But we are learning to navigate those better everyday!

I will close with the 5 things I love most about my bride…

I love how she overlooks my inadequacies and flaws. I must be tough to live with and I’m not much to look at.
I love how she sacrifices and serves. Anyone who really knows Christy is aware that she could be an independent success. A driven career-woman. Instead she pours herself into me and our family. She’s amazing!
I love how she is so flexible. Ever seen The Incredibles? Don’t you thnk that Christy looks like Elasta-girl? She is elastic. She has surrendered first to the will of God and also to the idea that in ministry as part of Team Cantrell – we pray the Isaiah 6 prayer often… “Here I am – send me.” In our Every Nation world it could literally mean any nation. I needed a flexible woman.
I love how she “mothers” our children. Christy is a great mom.
I love how she is my friend. At the core of our relationship we are friends. We are for each other. We are a team! Christy is my best friend. She has stuck with me, when she didn’t have to. She has given me all she has. She has decided to grow old with me – and that is a scary thing…