My wife and I had a milestone wedding anniversary. It’s one that makes you wonder how you made it this long. There has been the better and worse, sickness and health that seemed unlikely when we made the promise to endure it all together. There has been the grit and grind of building a long life together. How did we make it this long? I think it’s because we never stopped going on dates. We got married, but we never stopped dating. My pick-up line still needs work, but our dates usually begin when I ask, “So what do you want to do today, Dear?” And she usually responds with a sigh, “I dunno.” Then we decide to do something jazzy like grocery shopping. But it’s fun because we are doing it together. And we have learned how to make it an event.

God’s brilliant “one flesh” (Mark 10:8) concept of marriage entails much more than fitting complementary body parts together so you can make love and babies. It implies a preference for each other over any available option for any possible activity. I hope we never stop dating. Other companions are good to be with. There are nice people available to my wife who like to shop more than I do. And there are nice people available to me who might like to sightsee more than she does. But she gets in the car for a drive, and I push the cart because in our bones we want to be with each other more than anybody else.