This spring, my husband Sean and I will have been married for more than a decade — and together for nearly twice that.
With our next anniversary on the horizon, I have come to a profound realization. All the “mile markers” we’ve been keeping — sticky notes, birthday cards, trip mementos — have become a beautiful if disorganized tapestry of our love and commitment, with God at the center.
This isn’t to say that we haven’t desired a cleaner, more thoughtful presentation for the wealth of “plot points” in our story. In truth, I’d been searching for almost a year when God put the idea of a scrapbook on my heart.
Only one small problem — I hadn’t completed one in years!
So, I made it my business to find a local scrapbooking class while taking on this gargantuan task.
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Now, I am pleased to share that, after working with a talented workshop leader and some new friends, the beginnings of a lifelong keepsake have emerged.
More than this, however, I am grateful for something far less tangible: a steady, constant reminder of our Catholic faith. There is so much beauty in the rhythmic work of practicing slower arts that harkens to gleanings from Holy Scripture.
For my fellow creators, or for those who might wish to explore new ways of engaging their faith, I humbly offer some favorite lessons from my year of organizing a love story:
- Embrace a slow and intentional life. Proverbs 21:5 and Proverbs 16:9 remind Catholics that God leads us to living at a pace that feels just right, where we can celebrate the outcome of diligent efforts without falling into the trap of hastiness. This is verified in large-scale works like scrapbooking and marriage, where meaning is found by combing through little details and giving praise for each blessing with deep intention. Through this process, one sees more clearly the beauty of experiencing love no matter life’s pressures. Carefully kept memories and mementos remind us that, in good times and in bad, those around us enrich our lives by measures we cannot fully comprehend, but can pray and give praise over — through creative measures or not!
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- Be a good neighbor; share your resources. 2 Corinthians 9:8-11 and 1 John 3:17-18 impart the knowledge that sharing our resources with others ultimately brings joy to our Lord in Heaven. In the scrapbooking world, it is commonplace for artists to bring their carefully curated supplies, like decorative edging scissors, stamps, and die cutters, to group sessions so that others may share their bounty. In this way, all our works are improved, and our resources are managed responsibly, as no one person must bear the burden of purchasing every piece of beautiful cardstock they desire. The pieces they need are usually present and freely given. In marriage too, there is a sense of comfort in knowing that each spouse brings their best gifts and efforts to the table, for the betterment of the couple and its closeness to God.
- Revisions are all right – and even expected. Isaiah 43:19, Romans 12:2, Ephesians 4:22-25, and Philippians 1:6 all communicate that God has given us a new mind and spirit, designed to refresh and restore us. In life, we constantly strive for improvement, with this concept as a guiding light. In marriage, our spouses are present for all of our best and worst days, remaining steadfast in their love while encouraging us to try again, differently and with God, when things don’t go quite according to human plans. When mistakes get made, we can change course and find the right path once again. This is true in scrapbooking as well — so true, in fact, that manufacturers have created adhesives that are designed for multiple “sticking attempts,” paper cutters have measured lines and other assistive placement features, and a thoughtfully placed cutout can cover a multitude of scrapbooking “sins.” In both artistic creation and in marriage, this striving is the process by which one is ultimately redeemed. Christ gave his life for ours and stands by our side through each mistake we make, drawing us constantly closer to our final product or destination: eternity with him.
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- It is good to live in awareness of those we love. Ecclesiastes 9:9 and Ephesians 5:25 are two of the Bible’s more famous verses about marriage. They both profess what we all desire: to be held close to those we love, in spirit, in mind, and in body. For this reason, I kept them near to my own heart while working towards a catalogue of the love my husband and I feel for each other. And that is just the beginning of its benefits! Reviewing our story together has renewed our perspective on just how special marriage can be. It is precious, but it is built on a firm foundation of showing up daily, weekly, yearly, through each of life’s seasons, as partners in Christ. Yes, even through little activities like re-reading old love letters and special occasion cards side-by-side. In its own way, scrapbooking has brought us even closer together, and for that I will always be grateful.
Recognizing that some readers may find themselves in different life stages than the one that ultimately inspired me to create, I’d like to offer the following additional point of reflection:
Matthew 18:20 tells us that “For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.” Certainly, scrapbooking class and marriage count, but I invite you to consider all the places where you find this to be true, and to celebrate them with the same intentionality, generosity, compassion, and love that Scripture asks us to have throughout our lives.
And as for me, if God is in the details — however messy or organized — then that is where I plan to stay. Join me!
