What has the first year of marriage looked like for two followers of Christ?

So, one year ago today, I said "I do" to the most generous, selfless, joyful, humorous and handsome man I've ever known! I met Harold while I was teaching in South Korea. Within a month of knowing each other, we started dating. Within our first month of dating, I was already telling close friends that I could see myself marrying him. By the end of our stay in South Korea, sure enough, we were engaged. And just a few days past our one year dating anniversary, we were married! I cannot believe it has been a full year since then!

I have been so richly blessed and so humbly challenged by my first year of marriage with Harold. I pray that this special edition anniversary post will serve as a testimony of God's grace, wisdom, forgiveness, and steadfast love--for every peak and valley of our journey thus far can be ascribed to the ministering hands of God.

There are many experiences from our initial year together that I could enumerate for you on my own. However, in doing so, I would fail to capture the manifold dimensions that characterize a joint adventure. And so, Harold has graciously agreed to lend his own valuable perspective to us as we expound upon the essential question of this post.

We decided that a Q&A format would be best and most engaging for the purposes of this post. We hope that you will enjoy reading our personal reflections. For our married audience, we pray that you will be encouraged to reflect upon and celebrate God's goodness in your own journey with your spouse. For our soon-to-be married and presently unmarried readers, we pray that you will be encouraged at the prospect of your own future journey--which is sure to be a sweet gift from the Lord in His due time!

Q&A with H&H

What is one word you would use to describe the first year of your marriage? Why?

"Revealing. God has used this first year of marriage to reveal to me how I should consider the needs and wants of another above my own. He has revealed this to me in matters both small and great. Whether it has been a matter of choosing a place to go to dinner, choosing a place for vacation, or deciding who is going to get up from the cozy bed at night and turn off the light, God has had to reveal my selfishness and cultivate His selflessness."-Hannah

"Cool- I use this word to describe our first year of marriage because I think it gives you an idea of how different Hannah and I are. She is a thoughtful, quiet, intelligent woman (and very good with words). She probably used some word that I didn't even know existed, and well, I’m very different (not that good with my words). We’re total opposites in many areas of our relationship! I think this year has taught us how to enjoy our differences, and value the God-given qualities in the other person." -Harold

What is one characteristic of Christ that your spouse has consistently displayed throughout your marriage thus far? How has witnessing this characteristic influenced you specifically?

"Harold is so generous. Harold has a genuine desire to bless others by giving selflessly, freely, and abundantly. He has displayed this Christ-like characteristic since the beginning of our relationship. I remember going to lunch with him on the first day I met him. He had just recently arrived to South Korea and barely had a handle on Korean currency, but he offered to pay for my lunch. When I told him he didn't have to do that, he simply replied, with all genuineness, “I wanted to!” And that has been the case throughout our entire marriage! He always wants to give and be generous to others. This has really inspired me to examine my own generosity. Witnessing his heart and his mentality in this area has truly inspired me to challenge my existing standard of generosity." -Hannah

"Hannah has been extremely forgiving; she is quick to forgive me and move on. I tend to hold on to things and stay bitter for a while. She has definitely been an example in that way, and has encouraged me to act the same towards her." -Harold

Describe a specific time in which your marriage has brought you joy. 

"Celebrating Christmas as a married couple brought me tremendous joy. We were able to spend time with both of our families for our first Christmas. At one point in the evening, while we (my family and Harold’s family) were all gathered at Harold’s family’s home celebrating, I thought back to a conversation I had with a close friend prior to meeting Harold. We were discussing our future marriages and how wonderful it would be to celebrate the holidays with our spouses and both sets of families! I was so excited at the prospect of the large family gatherings that would accompany the union of a man and wife! As I recalled this conversation, and then considered the reality that I was now married and in the midst of a large family gathering, I was filled with joy! It was such a wonderful experience to be in the same place with the man I love and all the people that we both love." -Hannah

"It's not just one specific time--it's more like something specific that happens every day--but praying together with Hannah brings me joy. We are able to share things that are on our heart, and bring them before a God who cares about every detail of our lives." -Harold

What is one specific example of how your spouse has been a source of encouragement for you over the past year? 

"Harold has been a source of encouragement to me in so many ways over this past year. Most recently, he has really encouraged me in my blogging! He is the first to read every post and he always gives me such positive feedback and he takes time to share with me specifically what he enjoyed from each post. His praise of and support for anything I do is such an encouragement to me!" -Hannah

"Hannah has been an encouragement in the many ways that she serves me. It’s been things like making me breakfast, packing my lunch, or doing my laundry. I’m thankful for the many sacrifices that she makes for our marriage, and it has encouraged me to do the same for her! -Harold

What is your favorite memory overall from this initial year of marriage? 

"My favorite memory from our initial year of marriage was when we went to Atlanta, GA for a weekend getaway. The week following our trip, I knew I would be having parent/teacher conferences, and so originally, I had planned on bringing some conference work with me to complete on the drive. Harold wasn't thrilled by the prospect of me bringing work on vacation; but, he understood the fact that I had to get it done. I decided, however, at the last minute, to leave everything at home. Because of that, we ended up having the best time together! We were totally free to enjoy each other’s company fully and without distraction. The weather was beautiful, it was our first trip together as a married couple (apart from our honeymoon), and for me, it was the best memory we have made so far!" -Hannah

"Other than the honeymoon?.......ANYWAYS, my favorite memory was when we took a mini-vacay up to Savannah, Ga. It was good being able to spend a few days together with no schedule or list of things we had to get done. Just a nice hotel, ferry rides to and fro along the river, and huge plantations. Plus they have crazy good southern food…like Paula Dean’s all you can eat buffet….or Wiley’s Championship BBQ….." -Harold

A special thanks goes out to my sweet husband for his willingness to compile and share his thoughts for the sake of this blog post! Harold, It means the world to me that you would sacrifice your time to do something so sweet for me, and yet, so challenging for you (Remember, he does NOT like writing!). You are the BEST husband, the BEST friend, and the BEST gift God has given me! Love you always and forever!