82815_firstdateTwenty-three years is a LONG time! Just ask my husband, Rusty Farmer!

I cannot believe it. This month Rusty and I will celebrate our 23rd wedding anniversary. I remember years ago, my pastor’s wife telling me that she and our pastor had been married 16 years, and I thought, “My goodness! That’s a long time. They must be really old!”

And here we are!

So a blog may not be the appropriate place to get all mushy and gushy about my Mr. Right, but I made a disclaimer for such content when we launched The Grace Exchange some several months ago. You see, right there – on the home page, you’ll see the fifth category of discussion … Somewhere Around Elkhorn. And with that, I’m free to comment as I like. (But don’t worry – I’ll try to keep things tasteful, at least moderately so.)

I got to marry Rusty Farmer.

When I was a junior in high school, I was having a conversation with my friend. The topic was one we had entertained time and time again. You know what it is, gals. Don’t deny it! You know how we gabbing girls would sit for hours with our besties chatting about what our “prince” would be like.

Oh, I think he’ll have dark hair. Kinda tall. But not too tall. I bet he’ll love kids. And I hope he’s athletic so he can coach T-ball and stuff like that.

I think the guy I’ll marry will be like smart but not like a nerd. You know – “cool smart.” I want him to go to church and not chew tobacco. And he has to like to watch movies and be romantic and all.

Yep! That’s the kind of conversation we were having. What would he be like? What would he look like? What kind of family would he come from? Would he be rich? Or not so rich? What about his hair? Blond? Maybe brownish?

After projection and describing our “hopeful hubbies” for a few minutes, my friend said, “You know, I want him to be like a really nice guy, you know. Like Rusty Farmer. Just so sweet and such a great – ”

“YES! RUSTY! That’s him. That’s the guy. Such a great guy. Yep! He would make a great husband,” I interrupted.

When I think back upon our innocent and wishful exchange that day, I am simply amazed! At that time, I acknowledged that Rusty would be a great fella to marry, but I certainly didn’t ever think about that unintended hope becoming reality.

God is so good! So very, very good. Rusty is not the perfect husband; there is no perfect husband. But Rusty is the perfect husband for me! I have no doubt that Rusty was intricately fashioned by our Sovereign Lord to be my spouse for life. God thought of it all. As he formed Rusty in his mother’s womb, He was crafting Rusty to love me. No one else could love me like Rusty. No one else could tolerate me like Rusty! All of my habits, faults, and silly idiosyncrasies were considered by our Creator, and Rusty was equipped with an ability to handle me, like me, and love me in spite of them all.

In a high school chemistry class, we learn about DNA, the molecule within humans and other living organism that influence heredity. This chain of genetic information contains four nucleotides: adenine, thymine, guanine, and cytosine. These four nucleotide bases are paired for completion and perfection. The bonding is consistent and exclusive. Adenine always and only bonds with thymine, and cytosine always and only bonds with guanine to create the compatible (rather perfect) helix of genetic material. That may all sound a bit “sciency,” but, my friend, this DNA analogy fits Rusty and me absolutely.

Just as there is only one nucleotide that is designed and capable of bonding with each base, there is just one man, in all the world, for all of time, that was Divinely designed for and capable of becoming my perfect life-mate. That man, my friend, has been my husband for 23 years. I’m the adenine, and Rusty is the thymine. I truly believe he was created just for me and only for me – to bond and partner with me for life.

I love you Rusty Farmer! Happy Anniversary! You were made for me, and I’ll love you forever!

And He has “raised us up together and made us sit in heavenly places with Christ Jesus.”   Ephesians 2:6