This weekend our second daughter, Serenity, is celebrating sixteen years of marital bliss with her childhood sweetheart. Their wedding really was something of a fairytale, complete with flower petals falling from the sky when they turned to greet the crowd as man and wife.

But, in reality, those petals only fell because a wonderful friend climbed out of a tiny bedroom window onto the scalding hot roof of an August afternoon. Then he crept across the scorching shingles and dropped the petals from the sky as if by magic.

The moment when Michael and Serenity exchanged vows on our family porch was magical. The process to get there was hard work.The fairytale romance before the wedding included ten years of dying-to-self, trusting-the-grown-ups, and loving-Jesus-more-than-the-dream.

And the years that followed have not been all unicorns and fairy dust.

The reality, though, does not mar the memory. The hard work does not negate the magical moment. The day was real in a way that actually transcends the struggles. Because in the moment, we touched the perfection that is Jesus and His Kingdom. We experienced the thrill that will come at the end of the age when He comes back for His bride and flower petals will be scattered by angels.

In that moment, we knew the story we are living is true. It is real. It is filled with good guys, bad guys, scary times, and sparkling glories. And, of course, we win. Not only in the end, but lots and lots and lots of times in-between.

Happy Anniversary, Bohons.