cairns

In 25 days, I will be marrying m'Love ... the man who encourages me daily, challenges me to new heights continually, protects me, loves on me, believes in what I dream to do/or become, places hope in the same Savior to direct our lives together. He knows how to make me laugh (even when I try to be stubborn not to); he listens to the 'never before said aloud' thoughts I articulate; he asks questions that make me really ponder and speak so raw-fully true; he loves me with those eyes when I'm close up or far away...

We've had the opportunity to face some hard things emotionally together. Distance and time were at one point factors, but God knew what we needed to go through and how, despite what I thought was difficult or unfair. I knew this day would come, where I could look back and say, "That all was for a reason", but honestly, I never knew how overjoyed and blessed this feeling would be. Like along a hiking trail, our story has built cairns along the way ...

We set out on a scramble this past summer ... it was the middle of July, but because of our cold spring, at some parts on the mountain, there was still waist-deep snow!! I knew once our group got narrowed down to 3 athletic men and yours truly ... that I was in for it! Not only that, but on our drive to the mountains, I was informed that we wouldn't be hiking along a path, but creating our own (scrambling to the top). I told Matt that I probably wouldn't be able to keep up, and his reply was, "No matter what, I will be with you. We'll do what we can. We'll enjoy it together." If you know me, you know that my competitive spirit is, well, impressionable ... so yes, this was hard to swallow as we had not even begun yet!

There came the point where moss met rock, rock met snow ... the first cairn. Significantly placed. It was a point we could turn around and walk back to the jeep after a 2 hour hike, or continue on up for the next few hours! What our next steps proved to be, were the most frightening yet amazing moments I have ever experienced. Scaling a mountain wall is fun ... until you look down. Being snowed and hailed on while hiking in thigh-high snow is never fun (or safe), especially when you cannot go anywhere for shelter...

That one day summed allot of what our relationship has been through ... challenge, endurance, and learning how to rely on God's strength which really is simple, pure joy. I wouldn't trade any of the sweat and tears or leaps and fears out of my memory or reality. For, just like rocks are carefully placed along the trail to mark the journey to form a cairn, so have each of the details in our lives together been.

Love ... I can't wait for the cairn building ahead!

pic pix: Mount Sparrowhawk, Spray Lakes, AB, 10.Jul.10