Celebrating Anniversaries – Part 2

 

On the 25^th April 1992, I clung nervously onto the arm of my Dad as he walked me down the aisle to marry the man I loved. It was an amazing day, a lovely family celebration, and over far too quickly. Then the reality of being married really set in. That first year was 'interesting' – not least because we found ourselves unexpectedly expecting our first child and I was very, very sick. Morning (day and night) sickness. But looking back I would not change a thing. It was the start of an adventure that has enriched my life beyond anything I could have imagined.

So today is my 30^th Wedding Anniversary. Going by my social media feed I am not the only ACW member to have celebrated a milestone wedding anniversary this year. And wedding anniversaries, especially the significant ones, are really worth celebrating. We will be celebrating ours, low scale this year, just close family, which suits us fine. But it did get me thinking about what we are actually celebrating:

1.      That we are still together! We have had our moments, as has every marriage.  

2.       The blessings our marriage have produced -  our children and grandchild.

3.       Each other! Yes I do still appreciate him and he appreciates me. Both the good and the bad times have helped to deepen that appreciation.

4.       Love – yes. And not the sloppy romantic stuff. A love that holds on, by choice, even when it is tough. A love tested by time and shared experience.

5.       Our growth and character development through our years together. How we have helped and encouraged one another to be better people, and to follow our dreams.

6.       Where we are today – in terms of our home and life together, and the journey that has brought us here.

7.       The things we have done together that have lasting value, especially in God’s service

8.       MOST of all, we celebrate God’s faithfulness to us. His guidance, His provision, His wisdom, love and patience. I know, without a shadow of a doubt, that we could not have done 30 years of marriage without Him.

Have we made mistakes? Too many to count. Would we have done some things differently? Maybe. Have there been missed opportunities to show our appreciation for each other? Probably. Will we continue to have things to work through? Definitely. We don’t agree on everything, and we can still annoy each other! But will God leave us to handle it alone? Never.

So what has all that got to do with writing you may well ask?

Well it might be a bit tenuous, but here goes!

Think for a  moment about your relationship with the things you have written or are writing. Like a marriage, our relationship with our writing can definitely be a series of highs and lows. But if this writing is what you think God has called you to do then :

1.       Stick with it, even when it is tough, commit to it – it might be for the long haul!

2.       Be encouraged  - your writing will produce something –  be a blessing to somebody, bear fruit you might never see

3.       Appreciate it – it is an amazing gift to be able to write

4.       Even when you don’t feel it, stay in love with writing. It’s a choice at times!

5.       It will get better. You can learn from your mistakes and the critique of others, grow and develop in your skill.

6.       Look back at your writing journey – and celebrate where you are today and how you got there

7.       Think about how God has used things you have written and thank Him for it

8.       And remember - God is faithful! He is always there to encourage, inspire and comfort. You don’t ever have to do it alone.

 

So here’s to many, many more years of happy marriage – and many, many more years of writing!

Joy Margetts has loved writing for as long as she can remember. A retired nurse, mother of two, and a new grandparent, she also has a lifelong interest in history. She makes her home on the beautiful North Wales coast.

Her debut novel 'The Healing', a work of historic fiction, was published by Instant Apostle on 19 March 2021. Joy has also self published a short novella, 'The Beloved' as both a companion to 'The Healing', and as an easy to read standalone story, which is available on Amazon Kindle.

Her second full - length novel, 'The Pilgrim', is due to be published by Instant Apostle in July 2022

More information on Joy and her writing, and her personal blog, can be found here www.joymargetts.com