10 Years of Love and It’s Still Worth It
by Seneca Moraleda-Puguan
In April 2014, my friend Ate Fiedes Doctor asked if I could write an article for the Wedding Supplement of Hawaii Filipino Chronicle.
I was so excited because not only would I be able to do what I loved doing which is writing but it was a wonderful opportunity to share my testimony of a God-written love story. It was also the beginning of my journey as a contributor to this amazing paper which I am forever grateful for.
My husband and I shared our love story and our wedding which happened on February 12 of the same year. The article was entitled “Love is Worth It.”A decade later, here we are, still joyfully married and still declaring that love is worth it. We have been blessed with two beautiful children, the fruits of our love.
We met in the Philippines. We started our family in South Korea. And now, we celebrate our 10th year of choosing to say ‘I do’ in Switzerland.
The land of fondue, chocolates, cheese, beautiful lakes, and mountains had been on our bucket list for a long time.
Never did we imagine that we would be enjoying our decade of being together in a country with such magnificent views and breathtaking landscapes.
And we’re not just going to stay for a few days, we’re going to have our 11th, 12th and hopefully, the rest of our years together just being in awe of God’s beauty and creativity as we look at the Alps and the turquoise-colored lakes of this little land-locked nation. For the 10 years we have been together, we have experienced miracles and overflowing blessings.
Our marriage is filled with joy but, be that as it may, it isn’t smooth. It’s not always happy.
There are a lot of bumps, a lot of disagreements and misunderstandings, a lot of heartaches and a lot of tears.
“Love” has moved from simply being a feeling or emotion to a decision we make every single moment of every day. Yes, 10! Ten beautiful years of togetherness, friendship, creating wonderful memories, building a family, and reflecting God’s love for His bride.
It’s also 10 years of getting on each other’s nerves, enduring each other’s loud snoring and irritating bad habits, trying to be gentle with each other when having a bad day, being patient and having self-control when overcome with anger, choosing to forgive even if it’s hard.
Ten amazing years of God’s grace to see and love each other the way we are loved by the Creator of everything, the Author of our story, by Love Himself. As we look back at the past years of our lives together, all we can see is a tapestry of God’s love, grace, and faithfulness showered upon His beloved children.
When we reflect upon the different seasons that we’ve been through, we can’t help but be humbled and truly amazed at God’s sovereignty over all things.
As we spend every waking hour together, we learn, time and time again, that love is patient, it is kind, it does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.
It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, and it keeps no record of wrongs.
Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. (1 Corinthians 13: 8-12)In a broken world where relationships are fleeting and love has become an empty word, we pray that our marriage will be a testimony of God’s relentless love for His people.
We strive to be a reflection of the love that Jesus has exhibited on the Cross so that we can experience freedom and fullness of joy.
It is our goal as a married couple to tell the world that love is not just a fleeting feeling but is the deepest emotion and the greatest gift we have ever received.
Love is worth it. It was and it will always be. To my husband, John Marc, cheers to us for reaching 10 years of faith-stretching, character-molding marriage.
Thank you for being a powerful witness of God’s patience and persevering love.
Excited to have more decades of seeing the world with you, of having adventures together, of watching Korean dramas, of raising more children who are better than us, of being best friends and partners.
I love you.
Saying yes to you 10 years ago was one of the greatest decisions I have ever made and I can proudly say that you are worth it!
Happy 10th anniversary to us!
