Day 1 // Life Lessons Through Marriage: Taking Chances + Becoming

Day 1: The beauty of August is not just about the change of weather and the preparation for autumn to come. For me, the beauty of August is remembering the life-changing moments and milestones that are in front of me each year. August represents reflections and the time the wedding bells rang in my life. 

Today I am reflecting on the week before my wedding day five years ago. There was a lot of preparation and final details that went into that week. Some last-minute changes and moments left me anxious because sometimes, change means giving up control and going with a new flow. I have always been that girl who when there is a plan made up in my mind—I am sticking to it. However, the week before the wedding bells rang, I was booking a new hairdresser, and makeup artist, and so many other things that came up unexpectedly.

That is one thing that I have learned through the journey of marriage. I have learned the importance of doing life with someone who can journey through the unexpected with grace, love, and understanding that some things don’t always turn out in the way that we planned them in our heads. 

I remember sitting at my parent’s house with my husband (fiancé at the time) as we were doing some wedding planning. We both realized that we needed a day wedding coordinator. We needed someone that could hold things together and keep everyone on track for the big day. This was another thing that we did not know at the time that we needed, but the sweetest lady came in and took over the gap that needed to be filled.

 In life, in marriage, God does neat things where he sends individuals into our space to fill gaps and lessen the noise of what we believed we could accomplish on our own. That is what this marriage journey has been to me. I have spent nearly the last five years learning, becoming, growing, and being taken out of my comfort zones and unfamiliar places.

Before the wedding bells began to ring–I remember stepping into David’s Bridal and trying on my wedding dress. I tried on one for the first time and said, “This is it, this is the dress.” When in reality, I wasn’t taking the moment to give a chance to all the other dresses that were surrounding the room. I turned to my mom, and we agreed to look a little further and see the details of a different dress. I am so glad we did because it was the dress that spoke to the structure of my body and the smile that would match it as I walked down the aisle. 

Like the dress, marriage has taught me about taking chances together. It has taught me the benefit of knowing the details of one another so that our love doesn’t fit into one little box, but expands. It has taught me the beauty of remaining in the fitting rooms and trying on new things that sharpen my glow for the very man I locked eyes with at the altar. 

Lastly, I have learned to continue a life together on the altar. To build altars in our homes and spaces where our presence will grow strong together. An altar that remains sacred outside of the Sunday morning rush. An altar where we continue to lay down our life and our love with Jesus who has been gluing all these years together. 

This blog series is dedicated to my husband Marquis D. Harris and my readers as I write about the marital life lessons I have learned as we count down the days to our fifth anniversary. Click the tag #fivedaystofiveyears as you visit the blog to find a new writing piece on this series.