Meghan and David

Meghan and David came to Medjugorje as part of a trip to celebrate their 20th Wedding Anniversary.

Meghan: We almost didn’t come [to Medjugorje] together. We kind of worked it through that morning and said, “Okay, well then, we’ll just kind of go as friends.” That’s where we were right before we left. 

When we came here, he was afraid that I would have expectations for him, or he’d get in my way. Or I was worried that he might bring me down, and then I couldn’t focus on God. There were all these weird things flying around about expectations and how we were both approaching the experience coming into it. 

And then, right before we got here, we said, let’s erase the expectations, let’s just go in with open hearts. We did, and it really worked out. We didn’t have expectations for each other or ourselves. 

This is the first time that I have ever felt like we’ve really been on the same page. Which, you can imagine being with someone for 25 years, what a huge gift that is, coming out of a week-long trip. And he said something really profound here. He said, “You know, I realize you’ve kind of been carrying our family spiritually, and I’m ready to step up and be right there with you and to show our daughters that this what I believe too.” I was like, that is the gift of a lifetime to take home because children follow what they see their parents doing, and while I have not, by any means, been a perfect role model, it does take a village. I think, with the two of us united in our beliefs and in our faith and what we will do and show them, will make a huge impact going forward on our children and all those people that we love around us.

David: Getting up at 4 in the morning and going to Apparition Hill and waiting for Mirjana [for the apparition on May 2nd], it was 4 hours of hurry up and wait. And then once everything went silent, you’re like, “Okay, this is what this is supposed to be.”

The only way I could describe it from my perspective was, it’s almost like if I had anything negative in my body, call it negative juice, it just flew out of my body. This is what it’s supposed to be, nice and calm and peaceful, and that’s what it’s been for me since we’ve been here. 

A lot of what the men [at Cenacolo] have gone through, are going through, I went through. Especially Michael [the young man who gave his testimony] today, who talked about a series of issues in his life that were very much similar to mine. His approach to letting God take the wheel a little bit, that’s what I had to do a few years ago. So it just reminded me not to hold on so tight all the time, and just let it go, and do what you need to do, and do it well, and be a good person. But that you’ll be rewarded for doing that, as opposed to controlling everything around you. 

Meghan: I wanted some time to meditate and pray and just be introspective. Whenever I read any of Mary’s messages to Mirjana and how She cries, while there’s so much to be grateful for, there’s a lot of sorrow for things – sorrow for not realizing the great sacrifice that Jesus has made for us sooner in my life; sorrow for not teaching my kids this with even more reverence and passion, not so much by saying, but by doing; leading by example. 

I sat up at the top of Apparition Hill yesterday for about an hour and a half. I prayed the Rosary, and it happened to be the Glorious Mysteries, really celebrating Jesus and Mary; I’m sitting there looking at Her, and I’m thinking, “What a great day to be up here praying this Rosary.” The whole time I cried and I cried with such profound gratefulness to have this sense of deep understanding, or at least be able to tap into this sense of what Jesus has done, what Mary is currently doing these 38 years. How great and gracious and kind and merciful God is to send Her and to repeat this message again and again so that we may, those of us late to the show, 38 years and we’re just here, but we’re still able to come. And it’s never too late. I’ve never felt such gratitude in my life. 

I don’t feel worthy, but you know what, we are. That’s why She’s coming. So it’s like, “Don’t say that, Meghan. She wouldn’t come if She didn’t think we were worthy. He wouldn’t send Her if He didn’t think we were worthy.” But it’s very humbling.

And then to have [David] here with me while going through all of this, it makes me feel like our marriage will be unstoppable now. That’s a big gift. 

God has played a huge hand, prior to ever coming here, in the fact that we’re still married. It’s a miracle. We are blessed beyond words. 

David: I wouldn’t say that this is the end all be all to marriage counseling, that’s not why I would come here —

Meghan: But it sure helps.

David: I would recommend anybody come here but not to save something. If you’re gonna save anything, save who you are, and you are going to be better together.