“Happy Anniversary!” We say it to encourage the couple observing the annual occurrence of their wedding date.

Remembering an anniversary is good. It is both bringing to mind and keeping in mind this significant event. Like birthdays celebrate the start of one’s life and memorials celebrate the completion of one’s life, anniversaries celebrate one’s vows in marriage—the greatest human-to-human pledge a person can make in life.

One thing I know for sure, beyond placing my faith in Christ, the decision to marry Donalyn has affected my life more than any other choice. This month we celebrate 41 years of marriage. That’s hard to believe. Where has the time gone?

Some people go really big and treat their anniversary like Canada Day. Others let them blow by like a tumbleweed in the desert. Personally, we work to make our day significant. Even in those years when we were busy or couldn’t afford much, we worked to remember the day it all began for us. So what’s right? Why bother? What’s the value of remembering any event?

The Bible is full of examples where people were called to remember great events.

• God promised Noah after the flood that the rainbow was given as a sign of His covenant so both God and man would remember that the world would never again be destroyed by flood (Genesis 9)
• When God met Jacob on the stairway to heaven, Jacob raised a rock of remembrance anointing it with oil and naming it Bethel—the place of God (Genesis 28)
• The Lord told Moses to celebrate the Passover annually to remember God’s protection of the Jews during the Exodus. He said, “This is a day you are to commemorate; for the generations to come you shall celebrate it as a festival to the Lord—a lasting ordinance” (Exodus 12:14 NIV)
• God told Joshua to pile 12 large stones to serve as a sign for all Israel to remember God’s power in crossing the Jordan River (Joshua 4)
• Samuel raised his Ebenezer—a rock of remembrance—so Israel wouldn’t forget God’s great help in defeating the Philistines (1 Samuel 7)
• Jesus told His disciples after the broken bread and shared wine to “do this in remembrance of me” (Luke 22)

We see clear precedent that remembering significant events is key in Scripture. Here are five ways to apply it to your wedding anniversary.

Celebration Shows Its Significance
To go out of your way to make the day special says to your spouse that the relationship is significant. Take time to recall all the traits that attracted you to your mate in the first place. Applaud each other for what each brings to the friendship. Write these out in a card, a poem, or a song. Declare your marriage as a life priority!

Recollection Enhances Its History
Don’t let your marriage slip into the twilight zone. Don’t be too busy to take time to remember all the great memories you have had. Together recall your shared history. In doing so you appreciate how far you have come. Walk through the memories together—not forgetting, not minimizing, and not losing track. No one else shares this unique love history with you.

Appreciation Declares God’s Goodness
You are wise to remember all that God has done for you in your lives and your marriage. Proverbs says that he who finds a spouse finds what is good and receives favour from the Lord (Proverbs 18:22). God did you a favour when He led you to your mate. What a blessing to have His hand on your home. Thank Him together in prayer.

Evaluation Keeps It Growing Deeper
When you remember, it is far easier to re-prioritize. Don’t minimize the importance of your wedding covenant; remember your vows and commit to value them. Marriage isn’t an easy relationship. Evaluation is healthy when you look at what changes you need to make.

Anticipation Strengthens Your Faithfulness
When you celebrate regularly and significantly, you keep your marriage in the foreground. Look to the future and anticipate ways to make this year better than last. On our 30th anniversary, Donalyn and I realized that if we live to the average age of our parents, we could easily live to be 60 years married. We committed then to each other to make the second half of our marriage the best half.

Even as wedding rings are a daily reminder for you and a daily sign to people in your world that you are exclusive to one person, so make your anniversary a declaration of the importance of your marital vows. Appreciate anew the value of remembering when it comes to your wedding anniversary. God does.