The foundation

Michal Gregory 2.4.2020

The day before Alex and I got married, we were baptized.

As polar opposites, we always felt that we were put together for a reason, otherwise why else would God pair two incredibly different humans together other than to see how long it takes to want to murder each other? I’m only kind of kidding.

Above all else, we wanted our marriage to be based in faith, to be forever marked, in this world and the next. We wanted our marriage to be more than marital bliss, cute wedding pics, and making mini Alex Gregory’s (apologies in advanced for the personalities I will birth into this world one day).

We wanted to symbolically and publicly demonstrate this desire, which is why we decided to be baptized as one.

Now don’t get me wrong, we had always shared our faith together and acknowledged the life we would like to live and the type of people and couple we would like to be, but we had never wholeheartedly crossed that line, into actually living and being those people.

Because honestly, but not shockingly, self-sacrifice, forgiveness, communication, and patience are much easier said or lived out occasionally, then lived out daily.

Once you cross that line and decide to live out profound faith, there’s no going back to your old life and it’s cheap but false comforts.

We couldn’t go where we felt God was calling us, living in the habits we had created.

It was together, that we decided to take the plunge and cross that line. Boldly, fearlessly, and publicly. But most importantly as one.

We felt it was important to dedicate ourselves to serving and pursuing God, so that we could fully and faithfully serve and pursue to each other the way we were called to: boldly, fearlessly, and faithfully.

And here’s the thing, our dip in Lake Michigan didn’t miraculously fix our character flaws or make us a perfect christian couple.

But it did change our heart alignment with each other and God. It laid the foundation and set the stage for God to come in and unfold His will on our lives.

But let it be known that although we are deeply flawed as individuals and still require so much growth and guidance, we are resolved to serving God and serving each other with as much integrity, courage, and unrelenting pursuit as we are capable of giving.

This is a life long journey, and thank God for that because there is still so much left to learn and do. We are far from perfect or having it all figured out, and honestly, I don’t think we will ever quite “be there”.

I don’t know the future, but I do know life is filled with hard, uncomfortable, and sometimes unbearable things.

It is so comforting to know that when hell and high water come and when the storms of life rage, that Alex’s and I stand, hand in hand, on steadfast and unshakable ground. Not because of anything we have done, but because of who He is.