Dancing in the Minefields

The other day a friend brought this song to my attention.  She said it reminded her of Josh & me, and that we have no idea what a ripple effect our marriage has had on others.

"Dancing in the Mine Fields" music video for Andrew Peterson from Grant Howard on Vimeo.

She's right... we have no idea at all.  But any kind of positive effect our marriage has is completely due to God.


As I listened to the song, the lyrics hit me hard.

Well I was 19 you were 21
The year we got engaged
Everyone said we were much to young
But we did it anyway
We got the rings for 40 each from a pawnshop down the road
We said our vows and took the leap now 15 years ago 

I was 19, Josh was 21 when we got married.  I believe our honeymoon suite was booked in my father's name.  I found two thin bands at a going out of business sale for $26 each.  Josh's was $49.

It didn't matter.  We were in love.

We went dancing in the minefields 

We went sailing in the storm 

And it was harder than we dreamed 

But I believe that’s what the promise is for 

Looking back, we've danced in a lot of minefields.  And boy, was it harder than we dreamed.

The first 2.5 years we lived in my hometown.  I finished up my college degree early, had a fabulous job at a counseling center, and Josh was in charge of creative arts and worship at a local church.  I knew he had always wanted to live in Atlanta, but he knew it scared me, so he was patient.

One day it was like I could hear God say, "Well, Susan, would you rather leave your family move now, or wait until you have kids?"

You see, for me it wasn't the part about moving to Atlanta that scared me, but rather moving away from my family.  They're precious to me.

But I decided I'd rather move before we have kids, so we did.

After a year in Atlanta, we got the opportunity to move to Greenville, SC.  And boy, were we ever excited!  It was a great mid-way point for both of us.  Beautiful city, low cost of living, and right between our families and Atlanta!

We signed a 9 month lease.  Nine months later, we signed a 14 month lease.  Two months later, we're moving to Virginia.

That's right, we're dancing again.  All the way to the coast of Virginia.

Josh has accepted a position with Waters Edge Church (WEC, if you will) in Yorktown, VA!

I'm excited and scared to death all at the same time.  But God is the same God who has provided for us every step of the way.  And we know that this is where He has chosen for us to be.

On our wedding day, exactly 4 and a half years ago, we made a promise to each other.  And this is what that promise is for.

Please pray for us as we set out on this new chapter in our lives.  I'm leaving behind a job that I dearly love, and family that I love even more.  But God will provide as we go dancing.

Cause he promised not to leave us 
And his promises are true 
So in the face of all this chaos baby 
I can dance with you