A Decade-Later Honeymoon

Paul and I were married on July 31, 2004. In a few weeks, our marriage will be 10 years old.

When Paul proposed in November 2003, we were planning for him to start law school in the fall, but we didn't know where. We chose our wedding date, thinking we'd still have the first few weeks in August to enjoy a honeymoon.

Both in our last semester at Belmont University, Paul was busy completing law school applications while I researched possible honeymoon locations. Envisioning a relaxing time at the beach, I landed on St. John in the U.S. Virgin Islands. The idea of a national park in the ocean intrigued me. It sounded like an untouched paradise. We booked our tickets and contacted a friend of ours, who had been there recently, for travel tips.

By the time we both graduated from Belmont University in May of 2004, the honeymoons plans had been cut short. Paul would be starting law school in Minnesota toward the beginning of August - right smack dab in the middle of our "honeymoon." We cancelled our plane tickets, shopped for a Minnesota apartment and finalized the wedding plans.

The wedding day was unforgettable - we had a blast with our family and friends and were thrilled to start our life together. The honeymoon could wait.

Fast-forward ten years. We're mid-house project with an almost three-year old running around and jabbering up a storm. For the past ten years I have periodically reminded Paul that we still hadn't taken our honeymoon - sometimes in tender moments, sometimes in tense moments. It was sitting there, collecting dust and rattling around. Paradise . . . waiting.

Double-digits. I remember thinking we would know a lot about marriage by the time we made it to the big 10 - Ha! What can I say? I was naive. I've learned how little I really know. What I've learned so far is that marriage takes sacrifice and forgiveness; vulnerability and resourcefulness; humility and patience. It takes the Holy Spirit at work, revealing sin and sanctifying us. It takes prayer. Every minute of marriage is worth celebrating.

So we finally took that honeymoon to St. John.

I still have much to learn about Paul and marriage. I don't know what this trip would have looked like ten years ago, but ten years later, it came as close to perfect as I could have imagined.