A Tribute to My Wife on Our 10th Anniversary

Ten years. Nearly one-third of our short lives spent in covenant marriage together. It seems like just yesterday we were standing on the stage at Hillcrest's church building and committing together to honor Christ in our union. But at the same time, it feels like this is how it has always been, like we can't really remember how it was before that day.

And oh, what a day that was! I have one image seared into my mind's eye of Emily's beautiful smile and laugh (which occurred while the song playing during the Lord's Supper lasted way too long and we stood there awkwardly chatting while everyone stared at us...). But that picture reminds me of her joy and her trust in what was happening that day. But even more so, that image reminds me of the weight of the responsibility with which I have been entrusted.

See, the Lord saw fit to unite this incredible, gifted, godly, beautiful, loving, sincere woman (who is a sinner too!) with me, a sinful man. And He expects me to care for her like He cares for His Church. That is over-the-top difficult, even to do for a woman like Emily. Why is that so hard? Because we are selfish sinners married to selfish sinners in a fallen world. As Paul Tripp puts it: "What did you expect?!"

So for me to love my wife is a tangible choice I make every day, to die to myself and to give my life for her (as Christ did for us). My only ability to do that stems from my remembering of how He did that for me (which is where the term "gospel-centered marriage" comes from).

But let me be clear: Emily absolutely makes that as easy as possible for me to do. Her pursuit of Jesus, her repentance, her humility, her sacrifice for me and our boys, her kindness, her quiet spirit--all of who Jesus has made her to be--enables my sacrifice for her even more so. These last few weeks of chaos in our lives has only increased that. She has invested nearly countless hours in re-staining all the wood in our house, cleaning it to get ready to sell, now packing almost all of it as I finish my schoolwork. She works harder than nearly anyone I know, without complaint. In summary, she looks like Jesus (see Philippians 2:3-11).

So today, on our 10th anniversary, I want to honor and exalt you, my "excellent wife" (Prov 31:10). And by doing so, I hope to honor and exalt Jesus, the Savior and Bridegroom with whom we look forward to one day smiling and laughing with complete joy and complete trust forever.

Emily Kristin Wohlgemuth: I love you, more than you know.

(Here's what I wrote last year for our 9th anniversary. Still true today.)