Nine Very Blessed Years

(Molly)

It was nine years ago today that the Lord brought us together in the Sacrament of Holy Matrimony. As I look back on those years, I can hardly believe all the Lord has done in our lives. Most significantly, he has blessed us with seven precious souls all of whom we have offered back to Him, two of whom He has already chosen to gather to Himself. We have moved from our one-bedroom apartment in trendy downtown Excelsior, Minnesota, to a small town home in suburban Chanhassen, and then later to our humble home in Coon Rapids. And now, after a short stint living with Brendan's gracious parents, we have moved into the home we have dreamed about from the early days of our marriage.

We have been exhausted as Brendan completed his Master's program and then later became Dr. Brendan Koop. We have been overjoyed at the births of each of our children and have been blessed to watch them grow. We have grieved together with the losses of two sons and have learned to trust in God's Divine Providence. Our two choleric temperaments have locked horns and refused to budge. We have recognized our weaknesses, through God's abounding grace, and we have changed hearts and moved forward.

We are confident that the Lord has much more in store for our lives. Joy, and yes, likely some sorrow. In the early days of our relationship we claimed Psalm 37:4 as our own. We have found in these nine years of blessed marriage that the Lord would remind us many times of the psalmist's words: "Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart."