How Do I Love Thee? Let Me Count The Ways
I was an unemployed seminary drop-out. She said "yes" anyway.
She drove to work, 45 minutes each way, to a job WAY beneath her abilities.
She did the starving artist thing...even though the "art" that kept us starving was youth ministry and she was along for the ride. Car repairs, home redecoration, fashion upgrades, medical bills, Infamil on credit...she put up with all of that. Not to mention the time & hours her husband put in with other people's families for that low amount of pay (of which, we've come to realize, a poor financial start early on will have you playing catch-up your whole time). Not to mention that most of her dates were to high school plays, games and such. Much of that reality hasn't changed over time...17 years later, some of those things still go on, just in a better neighborhood. She's still here.
She has an ability to make houses into homes. Everything from making a nursery to making a "big girl room" for a two-year-old to buying a big comfy couch, fully aware of what I was looking for in a couch. She buys a hammock knowing that I'll spend more time out there than in the house with them (although I'm sure she factored in the hot Texas summers--even at night--would find me inside enough. She's a smart cookie). She lets teenagers come in without knocking. She understands that happiness & joyful relationships far outweigh housework. She builds studios for the disciplines required by artists--folks who redefine disciplines--because she is one herself.
She is a dog person by choice, not biology.
She is talented. Megatalented. She's beginning to believe it herself...which only brings out more talent. It's the best of all catch-22's. She's had two businesses since I've known her and that's been the case in both of them. The first was motherhood. The second is photography. She's still doing very well in both...and her talent is obvious. A blind guy with one eye can see the results.
She's prettier now than at any time since I've known her.
She's always been smart. Funny, too. Neither of those have changed. Well, maybe they've both increased over time, but she's still smart and funny.
She's definitely a Proverbs 31 kinda girl.
She brings more to this marriage table than I do. I'm a heap of contradictions and moods and quirks and my feet smell and I leave wet towels on the bed and a ton of crimes and misdemeanors I won't grocery list for you here.
I don't know why I'm telling you all this on a random March 1.
I guess I'm just thankful she's still here. Goodness knows she could've bailed and few would've blamed her. I guess my response to love is thankfulness. I'm overcome with the fact she loves me. I'm not convinced I do much to deserve it.
Yep.
That's what I'm thinking about today.
And I'm thankful.
I was an unemployed seminary drop-out. She said "yes" anyway.
She drove to work, 45 minutes each way, to a job WAY beneath her abilities.
She did the starving artist thing...even though the "art" that kept us starving was youth ministry and she was along for the ride. Car repairs, home redecoration, fashion upgrades, medical bills, Infamil on credit...she put up with all of that. Not to mention the time & hours her husband put in with other people's families for that low amount of pay (of which, we've come to realize, a poor financial start early on will have you playing catch-up your whole time). Not to mention that most of her dates were to high school plays, games and such. Much of that reality hasn't changed over time...17 years later, some of those things still go on, just in a better neighborhood. She's still here.
She has an ability to make houses into homes. Everything from making a nursery to making a "big girl room" for a two-year-old to buying a big comfy couch, fully aware of what I was looking for in a couch. She buys a hammock knowing that I'll spend more time out there than in the house with them (although I'm sure she factored in the hot Texas summers--even at night--would find me inside enough. She's a smart cookie). She lets teenagers come in without knocking. She understands that happiness & joyful relationships far outweigh housework. She builds studios for the disciplines required by artists--folks who redefine disciplines--because she is one herself.
She is a dog person by choice, not biology.
She is talented. Megatalented. She's beginning to believe it herself...which only brings out more talent. It's the best of all catch-22's. She's had two businesses since I've known her and that's been the case in both of them. The first was motherhood. The second is photography. She's still doing very well in both...and her talent is obvious. A blind guy with one eye can see the results.
She's prettier now than at any time since I've known her.
She's always been smart. Funny, too. Neither of those have changed. Well, maybe they've both increased over time, but she's still smart and funny.
She's definitely a Proverbs 31 kinda girl.
She brings more to this marriage table than I do. I'm a heap of contradictions and moods and quirks and my feet smell and I leave wet towels on the bed and a ton of crimes and misdemeanors I won't grocery list for you here.
I don't know why I'm telling you all this on a random March 1.
I guess I'm just thankful she's still here. Goodness knows she could've bailed and few would've blamed her. I guess my response to love is thankfulness. I'm overcome with the fact she loves me. I'm not convinced I do much to deserve it.
Yep.
That's what I'm thinking about today.
And I'm thankful.
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