a nautical mile...

I began playing around with numbers as our 17th anniversary has approached. 

The total number of days between 

Saturday, July 27th, 1996 and Saturday, July 27th, 2013 is 6,209 days.

6,209 days is equal to 887 weeks.

The total time span from 1996-07-27 to 2013-07-27 is 149,016 hours.

This is equivalent to 8,940,960 minutes.

You can also convert 6,209 days to 536,457,600 seconds.

I happened to plug this in to find out if the number 6209 was equal to any significant unit of measurement. It just so happens that this is 1.02 nautical miles. 

A nautical mile is defined as "the unit of distance used for sea and air navigation based on the length of a minute of the arc of a great circle of the earth differing because the earth is not a perfect sphere." 

This seems significant to me for many reasons. 

The definition above references the earth not being a perfect sphere. 

Our marriage of the last 6209 days has not been perfect, and for me (a recovering perfectionist), I am learning to be okay with that. I can see that the bumps along the way have been opportunities to learn to love.  They've taught me more and more to run to God and to see that His faithful pursuit of us never fails no matter how often we do. 

This unit of measurement used in the sea reminds me that we've navigated some rough waters in some seasons together. 

We've been tossed about on the sea crying out to God for Him to calm the storm at times and pleading for clear direction, and we've experienced times when God has silenced those storms and said, "Peace, be still." 

There have been times we've had to keep reaching through the haze and disillusionment that storms can bring to steer away from creeping separateness. 

In this nautical mile, the stage has been set to learn about compromise, grace and resilience. We've come to know that we are forgiven and reconciled people, and that has given us unwavering Easter hope.  

We've had times that we've experienced fullness of joy and we have found ways to craft the art of celebrating life together. We've witnessed the goodness and grace of God in beautiful ways through the years and we've learned to trust more deeply. 

We've experienced the richness of community and family as our fellow shipmates: those who have been given to us, and to whom we have been given... 

I am grateful for this nautical mile marker.  

I am so thankful to be in the boat with Jason, and still pinch myself that God gave him to me with whom I get to share this life. 

What an amazing journey we embarked on 17 years ago...  6209 days ago.... 

Hand in hand on deck... no matter what storms may come... 

I continue to choose this marriage, this partner, this gift...    

May God enable us to continue to grow in love. 

Happy 17th!