Our Vows: Part 2

Matthew and I chose to write our vows to one another.  Neither knew what the other had written until we shared our vows before family and close friends as we made a commitment to one another before the Lord.  It is important to us that those who are a part of our lives know the commitment we have made and help to encourage and support us throughout our marriage.  

These are Nicole's vows to Matthew on December 1, 2012:

I look at you and I see my best friend.  I see someone who has taught me so many things because of the way in which you love me.   You have taught me how to trust and how to let others into my life. Your love has taught me how to be strong and confident.  You have shown me that I am special and that I matter.  Through your love, you have taught me that I have a purpose even when I may feel like I don’t.  You have taught me what it truly means to fall in love and to give myself completely to another.  Through the way you love me, I have discovered a love I have never known before, a love that I did not believe existed.  I will never be able to put into words how deeply I love you but I can tell you some of the reasons why I do.  I love the way that you challenge me and the way it creates a longing inside of me to be a better person.  I love the way you provide a safe place for me when life feels upside down. I love the way that you make me laugh and how you let me cry.  I love the way that you love me.  It is a love that is unconditional, that respects and honors.  It is love that is kind.  But most of all I love the way you point me toward the cross and that you encourage my devotion in Christ to grow.  Your love for me is perfect and I cannot imagine spending my life without you because with you, I am whole.  You are my heartbeat.

Today we are being given a second chance.  We are wiping clean the canvases of our lives and allowing God and His handiwork to turn our ashes into His beautiful masterpiece.  We are being given a second chance at happiness truly because of His amazing grace.

And so today because of God’s extraordinary grace and His unending love, I Nicole, take you Matthew, my one true love to be my husband.  With my whole heart, I promise to love you.  I promise to love you more each day than I did the day before. I promise to trust you and to respect you.  I promise to laugh with you and cry with you.  I promise to love you faithfully through the good times but more importantly, no matter what obstacle we face, I promise to love you faithfully through the bad because I believe after all that we have been through, that there is nothing we cannot face together.  Matthew today I give you my hand and my heart.   I give you my hope for our future together and I give you all of my love from this day forward and for forever and always. I am yours.  I love you.