Hi. I am Ruby, the oldest of the Navales kids. I am 7 years older than Reinna so I fondly remember the day she was born. I was in the second grade and my dad picked me up to go to the hospital to meet my little sister. I remember everything so vividly in my mind because I was so excited to have a little sister.
I remember when Rein would cry. That girl didn’t cry a lot, but when she did oh did she wail! No wonder she is the singer. I remember when Rein came home from Kindergarten crying because Michael Lovette kissed her on the cheek. Oh, she was so traumatized. I remember when we found her in my parents bathroom with half her hair chopped off. We had to give her a boy haircut, but I guess that is where her desire to be a hairstylist started. I remember her and my other siblings running around and me yelling at them to get out of my way because I was cleaning. I remember having her and RJ come into my room so I can teach them how to dance. Reinna and I would go crazy dancing together, while RJ stood there refusing to participate because she was shy. Funny cause RJ is really the dancer now! After watching me and the heartbreak I would go through in highschool (boys are dumb in high school), Reinna adapted the motto “Be the villain, not the victim”. and she was the villain alright. She left a string of broken hearts.
When I look back though, the thing I notice the most is God’s grace in her life. That is the main stick that sticks out. She is here today, joined in one with Christian because of God. It is nothing she has done, but all of God’s handiwork.
So as you start this new chapter. Don’t find your joy in finally being married because if you do, you will be greatly disappointed. Don’t find your joy in Christian, because if you do, you will also be greatly disappointed. Marriage is fun, but it is also hard. Be prepared to work. Don’t rely on feelings because feelings will fluctuate and you won’t always feel like loving your husband. Love God. Above all else, always love God. Trust God. Enjoy God. Your life won’t be better now because you are married. Your life will only be better if you love God more each day. Loving God will make marriage even more wonderful. God is the key.
So let’s all raise our glasses not to Reinna and Christian, but to God because it is God who put these two together and it is only God who will make the marriage of two sinners living together work. Cheers!
In my little experience of having 7 years of marriage under my belt here are some things that I think are important.
1. Be part of a church community. Confess your sin to others and let them see how messy you and your marriage is. You need others to help you see the blinders in your life and this will only help you love God and each other more.
2. Always pursue humility. You will fight and sometimes you even be right, but nevertheless always pursue humility.
3. Be selfless. It’s not about you, it’s about your spouse. We are naturally selfish people and this takes a lot of work.
