Monday, February 13, 2012

Even stronger men...

I'll never forget the first time I saw him. I walked into the art class my first day of college and there he was. He had long blond hair, patch work jeans and earth shoes - it was the 70's after all. There he was, sitting on the air conditioner, right above the sign that said, "Do not sit on the air conditioner," and it was love at first sight.

Okay, so maybe love is a strong word, but I did know immediately that this was someone who would be very special in my life. Looking back, I had no idea just how special. I am, of course, describing the first day I saw my husband, Dale.

This Valentine's Day, I decided to take a moment and tell you about one of the strongest men I know - my husband.

To say that Dale is steadfast is an understatement. This is a man who I have had the privilege to know for over 34 years and never once have I seen him waiver. Life has not always been kind to us - it never is to anyone. Still in all these years, I have never seen him lose sight of God. Through the loss of jobs, a child, even dreams, Dale has continued to hold fast to hope in the promises of God. That's strength!

Dale is a wonderful father to our two children. Some people don't stop to think what great strength and endurance that requires. Raising children is a lot like running a marathon - and raising teenagers is like running a marathon coupled with a warrior dash! I have had the honor of watching my husband become one of the most caring dads I have ever seen. That is endurance.

Dale is a husband...I started to use a lot of adjectives, but they all started to sound like fluff compared to the depth of the term. Dale is that kind of husband you read about in Ephesians...the one that loves his wife as Christ loves the church and gave himself up for it. Anyone that knows me would probably say a loud AMEN that living with me CAN'T be easy. I am loud, opinionated, strong-willed, and easily distracted. Housekeeping has never been a gift of mine, and - to use an old joke - I treat him like a god, placing burnt offerings before him each night. Truthfully, he does most of the cooking - probably out of necessity and pure need for survival. Yet in all this, he shows me love. He supports my crazy dreams and  believes in me more than I do myself. That is fortitude.

Dale is extremely talented. He writes songs, has an amazing ability in art, and is just plain smart. Dale knows something about almost everything - or he can figure it out. He has the smart that can't be found in simply going to school - he learns from life. He can take the most difficult concepts and cut through all the clutter (that's a nice word for manure) and speak truth into the situation. He's one of those people who can explain the most difficult concepts in such a way that a child can understand them - that takes a "smart" that most people never find. That is power.

Yep, strength, endurance, fortitude, power - Dale.

This Valentine's Day, my blog is dedicated husbands and to the strongest man I know - my husband.
Feel free to comment and brag on your own "strong man" this Valentine's Day.

Ephesians 5:25

The Message (MSG)
 25-28Husbands, go all out in your love for your wives, exactly as Christ did for the church—a love marked by giving, not getting. Christ's love makes the church whole. His words evoke her beauty. Everything he does and says is designed to bring the best out of her, dressing her in dazzling white silk, radiant with holiness. And that is how husbands ought to love their wives. They're really doing themselves a favor—since they're already "one" in marriage.

1 comment:

Amanda P. said...

I have to say that my husband has that ability to have more faith in me than I have in myself.

I notice many friends and loved ones who hardly ever have anything nice to say about their husbands. I wonder if that speaks more toward their husbands, or their tastes in men. I want to ask them why they fell in love and married them. I want to take them back and help them remember what they once found irresistible.

Wes and I don't do ANYTHING the same way. We don't even take the same route to church! Sometimes I think that just before God put us together (b/c it MUST have been His hand), He leaned over to the nearest angel, smiled and with a twinkle in His eye said, "Watch this...this one's gonna be fun!"

I say all of this to say that God has a way of picking our partners in a way that completely balances us. If I wanted to spend the rest of my life with someone just like me,...wait, that's not even a thought I want to explore! How boring would that be if I understood the man I'm married to ALL the time? I stopped believing that I would one day have him figured out. I have found that I don't want to figure him out; I want him to surprise me from time to time.

Sometimes, I am tempted to complain about him. But then I know how much it would hurt me if he were to say something disparaging about me to his friends and I stop. I couldn't ask for a better, more devoted partner than the one I have. Anytime you have to live with someone 24/7 they are bound to get on your nerves but then that's why marriage is a reflection of Christ's love and grace toward us. It teaches us how to better love like Him. Overlooking faults and failures and loving each other through the tough times.

Thanks, Donna, for bragging on your man and allowing me to brag on mine and the God that brought us together!