Over the past 7.5 years, I've learned and observed many things about marriage. Sadly, one of the most obvious observations has been that in our society, it's far more common for spouses to denounce one another, both in private and in public, rather than support and encourage one another. When Jason and I married in October of 2004, I made a commitment of sorts to myself and to the Lord, to honor my husband with my lips. It is truly the desire of my heart to encourage him and build him up, whether I am speaking to him or about him to someone else. I'm certainly not perfect at this, but I do strive on a daily basis to continually work to be better! If you're married, you know the value of words and how much they can strengthen or damage your marriage! So, in light of that and the fact that today is Jason's 30th birthday, I'd like to publicly share just a few things that I am so incredibly thankful for about my husband! Feel free to read them or not! This is simply a way for me to honor my best friend, my teammate.
- He loves the Lord above all else.
-His love for me is second only to his love for the Lord.
-He is an admirable, loving, patient, and encouraging father to Cale, and Cale demonstrates how much he understands that by his deep love for "Daddy."
-He continually supports me and listens to me. If I approach him with something that's heavy upon my heart, he always listens, and always acts to help me in the ways that I request help.
-He is committed to purity. He diverts his eyes whenever we come in contact with a lady who isn't appropriately covered-- whether in person, on a movie, or in an advertisement. He has never used the excuse that it's "just a man thing to look." He honors me with his eyes, and I couldn't be more thankful.
-He constantly reminds me that he thinks I'm beautiful (even with a giant baby belly!).
-He has a deep, constant joy that I don't find in myself or in many others. He constantly sings and whistles. He trusts the Lord during the most difficult times.
-He works to let the Lord teach him more and more about the things he's passionate about-- marriage, fatherhood, ministry, etc. by studying God's Word, reading books by godly men, and by seeking out the counsel of older, godly men.
-His love for others consistently inspires me to love more deeply.
- He doesn't raise his voice to me. We decided before we married that we would always try to communicate calmly and with grace, and I am thankful to say that this has held true for 7.5 years-- even through stressful life situations and difficult trials. Not only are words important, but so is the tone in which they are shared. Jason always strives to honor me in this way. It really is possible to discuss things on which we don't agree without becoming angry and using harsh words or tones. If we don't feel like it's possible at the moment something angers us, we've learned to wait until we can discuss it calmly. This prevents us both from saying words that we later regret. Now, there have certainly been times of failure in this area, but we make it our goal to fight for each other, not against each other.
-He leads our family in ways that honor God, even if it's not the easy way (and it usually isn't!)
These are just a few of the things that I treasure the most about you, Babe! There are countless more. I am so blessed to have you as the one with whom to share my life! Happy Birthday! I hope it's a day of miracles for you.
Love,
Wifey
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