Today marks a special day for Joey and me. It is our tenth anniversary. It has been a joy being his wife and serving the Lord together. I would love to say that our marriage has been perfect because of our wise decisions and hard work, but that wouldn't exactly be the truth. Our marriage has been truly blessed by God in every way. I have no doubt that God brought us together and prepared us for each other before we even met. I attribute that blessing, not to anything that we have done, but to our excellent parents who sought the Lord in prayer on our behalf daily praying for our future spouse. It's a good thing too. I must say, as a twenty-something college student, I wasn't looking for all the right things in a husband. Don't get me wrong. I wasn't looking for all the wrong things. I just didn't have the foresight or the wisdom to really seek out the specific qualities that are important in a husband and father. Still, where I was neglect, God was merciful. I may not have had the foresight to look for certain qualities in my future husband before we were married, but I've been pleasantly surprised to find God chose better than I ever could have.
A wise friend once asked me a very interesting question. One I had never considered, but I must say it was a blessing to me to answer her question. She asked me to give her a list of things I didn't know about Joey before we got married that I admired about him or I was thankful for. When we first got married, I wanted to be a wife and a homemaker so much, I just couldn't wait. Unfortunately, because of my impatience, I didn't consider too much farther into the future than the first few months. I suppose that stems from my love of classic romances. They meet, they fall in love, they get married- The End. I think that's how many people view marriage. It's the part that comes after that that we aren't prepared for. So as I considered her question, I was blessed to consider all the ways Joey has blessed my life in the past 10 years. Here is a short list of the things I admire about my husband and I am deeply thankful for.
1. He loves to serve the Lord. I knew that Joey loved the Lord when we first met and that was important to me, but I never realized all the potential for ministry we would have together in our life together. Now, 10 years later we are literally thousands of miles away from where we started. Through the past 10 years I have seen Joey take each opportunity God has given Him and demonstrate his love for the Lord in each area of ministry. Joey has had the chance to teach, preach, lead music, organize youth activities, lead visitation programs, and serve in so many ways. He has been the spiritual leader for our family that is so important to me and to our family.
2. He is dependable and faithful. If there is one person in this world I can depend on, it is my husband. I know that I can count on him in everything. When I was in the hospital with the twins, I wanted to fret and worry about everything I was missing at home. I wanted to call and check on the kids fifteen times a day. However, I knew that Joey would take good care of all the things I couldn't. I knew I could depend on him. Joey has demonstrated amazing faithfulness in every aspect of our life together. He is the one I know I can count on in everything. I would like to say it is because I chose so wisely, but I think it simply the graciousness of God in my life and his amazing parent who raised him well.
3. He is a great father. Joey is the fourth of five boys. By the time we met and were getting ready for our wedding, his older brothers already had families of their own. I watched Joey interact with his nephews and neices and thought it was sweet the way they played and laughed together. I never really considered what he would be like with our children though. Well, we didn't have to wait long to find out! Josh came along 10 months later. I have been amazed ever since at Joey's way with the children. He is a gentle, loving, and compassionate father. Of course, he had a good example growing up. He is playful and fun, he is an excellent teacher, and he is a strong leader for each of our children. I am so thankful for his influence in their lives.
4. He is my very best friend. After 10 years together, I can honestly say, there is no one in the world I'd rather spend time with than him. He understands me. He inspires me. He tolerates me. He loves me unconditionally. We cherish our time together, whether it is overnight trips with a van full of teenagers, an afternoon cleaning the house, or actual time together with just the two of us.
Today I am thankful for 10 wonderful years with the greatest man I know. Happy Anniversary Sweetheart!
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