13 years of our story in His Story

We were strangers, starting out on a journey.
Never dreaming, what we'd have to go through
Now here we are, I'm suddenly standing. At the beginning with you

The last 13 years of journeying went by in the blink of an eye. Starting in Raycom Building ZGC, Beijing 15 years ago to Barrington IL. We went from strangers in a foreign land, to getting more accustomed to doing domestic life together. Striving for each day in parenting, serving one another while anticipating how the other would predictably respond and “fighting cleaner”. I love going through the million little small things in life with you and learning how to help one another be a better spouse. I love standing at the beginning of each day with you. 

No one told me, I was going to find you. Unexpected, what you did to my heart

When I lost hope, you were there to remind me. This is the start 

 It is not easy to find “our people” and much less “my person”. I am grateful how closely God knits our hearts and minds together. It is through the million little small and big conversations that I know, there is no one else on earth who sees and knows my heart as clearly as you. Be it navigating big topics like diversity, church and politics, the medium ones like our cross cultural marriage, parenting and navigating future dreams across geographies or the daily minutia of scheduling and my walks in the parks... Your Christ-centeredness, humility and TGC and wiki-pedia of a mind sharpens me.  


And life is a road that I wanna keep going. Love is a river, I wanna keep flowing
Life is a road, now and forever, wonderful journey
I'll be there when the world stops turning. I'll be there when the storm is through
In the end I wanna be standing. At the beginning with you

And through God’s active hand, we’re standing at the beginning of yet another cross-road, albeit a familiar looking one. There may be human wounds we sustained and human responsibility we must bear, but I trust God’s good sovereign hand in this. Even as you put our family first and view your highest calling to lead a quiet faithful life unto the Lord, my prayer is for you to use all the gifts that our good Father has so richly endowed you with to His glory and pleasure. That like Eric Liddell, you can say of your gift “God made me fast. And when I run, I feel His pleasure.” Not for people nor unto man, but for Him. And I am so glad to be standing at the beginning of this journey with you.


We were strangers, on a crazy adventure. 

Never dreaming, how our dreams would come true
Now here we stand, unafraid of the future. At the beginning with you

Happy Anniversary to my favorite fellow pilgrim and best friend! 13 years in and there is no one else I'd rather be making this journey with - with the twisty turns, speed bumps, uphill climbs, trudging through the desert, cruising by the coasts, riding through the plains and sometimes just being able to see the next step.
Thank you for talking life through with me, and readying me for the Day I will stand before Higher Throne! I love you, very very very much!