For Better or For Worse

    
 Written on February 16, 2008

     "When I found him whom my soul loves, I held on to him and would not let him go." Songs of Solomon 3:4.  That is how I felt when Alvin came into my life ... that is still exactly what I feel now. 

    February 16, 4:30pm, at this exact time 6 years ago, in 2002, I married my God's best.  Our marriage is not perfect but our 6 years together have been wonderful,wonderful years.

    Alvin and I both started working in Bayantel in 1996.  I know his friends, He knows my friends but our paths never crossed until February 3, 1998. I praise God for if we have met earlier then things may have been different.  At the time we met, we were both fully recovered from our 'heartbreaks'.... We were both healed. It was God's best time. And in just a few months of friendship, I felt I have known him all my life. 
   
    When I met Abinntot, as I fondly call him, I already felt he would play an important role in my life though I never thought at first that we would be more than friends. I enjoyed his company so much.  I never met a man who made me laugh a lot. We can spend hours talking on the phone and not run out of things to say. (Up to now, we can talk for hours and hours until we doze off to sleep.)  He was so humble, down-to-earth and principled but above all the qualities that stood out, It was his love for the Lord that drew me to him. I knew then, that this is the man I want to marry. 

    Alvin was already a Christian then but he was not yet active in the ministry and he did not attend church regularly.  I was a Catholic and I never had a 'personal' relationship with the Lord.  The more I knew Alvin, the more I realized that what I lacked in my life cannot be filled by anyone or anything but by the Lord alone... not because I can see Alvin's weaknesses but because I can see the strength the Lord brings him and I can see that he walked his talk.

    Sharing God to me was the best gift Alvin has given me because it was a gift not for my physical being but for my soul.  We started to regularly attend church.  We were baptized together.  We joined the ministry together. We made friends together.  We grew in our walk together. We matured together. We work better together... I can say we bring out the best from each other. 

    Every year, as we celebrate this special day, we always looked back to the past with fondness.  Life was not always smooth sailing for us.  We had our share of ups and downs.  We had fights and disagreements about a lot of things from ingredients of recipes (well, alvin always wanted potatoes to be included in most viands / dish including tinola ?!) to politics but we love each other and we are both committed to our relationship.

    So did anything change when we were married?  I would say everything changed for the better.  Yes, we still argue and things sometimes seem frustrating but we are now more forgiving. We now know when to speak and when to be silent.  We are more patient, bearing each other's faults.  We are learning to apply the 3Ks that Alvin learned from Toastmasters -  Kiss, Kick, Kiss. We have learned our love and apology language. Having weathered times of conflicts, sickness and financial pressures,  we are now emotionally and spiritually stronger.

    I praise God for bringing us together.  For 6 years and for the rest of my life, I have the privilege to know a great man and I am comforted with the thought that I will be spending the rest of my days with him... my Abintot...  for better or for worse.

    2 Corinthians 9:15 "Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!"