Day 2,289

The Marriage Conference

My man in the middle of the street, reenacting our proposal.

 As part of our church’s marriage conference this year, where we spent this weekend strengthening our marriages through faithful Biblical teaching alongside other married couples, we were tasked with a surprise “date night” ending: a two-hour scavenger hunt all across Martin County. Just the two of us. 

We had all sorts of tasks:

Reenact our first date. 

Get a receipt from lunch. 

Sit in the back of a police car. 

Find a giant sailfish. 

Go to the beach. 

Kiss in the backseat. 

Sit on a Harley Davidson. 

Find chickens. 

Ride on a lawnmower. 

All by himself, have the groom change the sheets and pillowcases. 

While wearing a tux?

Check!

We had to:

Find a Chinese takeout menu

Get a bank deposit slip

Stand on a dock

Go to three different Publix stores

Answer questions from the book “From Pride to Humility” by Dr. Stuart Scott

Put our feet in a fountain 

Video record us singing our wedding song (I might have proof that I almost wrecked the car during this)

So many fun and silly tasks had us laughing and running and sweating and kissing and speeding for two straight hours. We maybe disagreed a few times and learned a thing or two about being better planners, but we truly enjoyed partnering together to complete our mission, just as we’ve thoroughly enjoyed the last seven years of love in partnership through the bond of marriage. 

When God saw that Adam was alone in the Garden, He knew it was not good. Everything in Creation was pronounced good. Except Adam being alone. Adam needed a helper. A partner. So God made Eve and in doing so, completed His perfect Creation. 

I am grateful to the Lord for the husband beside me. Who, though taking on a completely different role than mine, so intricately completes the picture of the Gospel that marriage was meant to convey. The laying down of life. The dying to self. Sacrificial and unconditional love. Submission. Confession. Forgiveness. Redemption. The bride and the Bridegroom. Jesus and His Church. I love my marriage and my husband more than any earthly thing I have and praise God for such a good, gracious, and undeserved gift. 

Thank you to CBC and Pastor Phillip and Mrs. Tawnyia, who serve your church always so diligently and faithfully, especially this weekend. What a delight and encouragement and grace you are in our lives. 

Oh, and no, we didn’t win the scavenger hunt. I don’t even know if we made the top ten! Truth: our church is FAR more feisty and competitive than we gave them credit for and seeing them so fired up was maybe the funniest part of the whole thing! Ah. We just love these people. 

These people too!

After spending seven hours over the course of two days away from us this weekend, we sure were missing them! Good thing we have lots of extra time together now that it’s the offseason!