My Best Friend(s): My Husband

(Isn't he handsome??)

This is my handsome husband. Whom I love. To pieces. I still don't quite get why I'm the one who was blessed to get him. I think both of us feel that way, and there's not really anything wrong with having a mutual admiration society in your marriage. Yes, I know, we're newlyweds. Yes, I know, it's annoying for everyone to observe us basking in our bliss. Yes, I've heard that we'll "get over that" or that the "honeymoon will end" or whatever. No, I'm not willing to cede my future to the cynics. I love him, and I'm incredibly thankful to be his wife. So there. 

I have probably learned more about what my relationship with God is all about since HE surrendered his life to God than I have in the majority of my life, put together. I'm not talking book-learning, head-knowledge. No, that's been an accumulation of years. I'm talking about the nitty-gritty, day-to-day details of walking with God. I tend to be a bit of a know-it-all (and if you agree with me, it WILL hurt my feelings-- just because I know it's true doesn't mean I'm strong enough acknowledge that others can clearly observe that chink in my armor), and the idea that this brand new baby Christian has taught me so much is quite humbling. On a nearly daily basis (or more often), my relationship with this man makes me crave to know God better, hunger to learn more, and thirst to be filled with the Spirit. That's why I picked this 18-month-old picture from our engagement photo shoot. It's the only one I have of him with his Bible, but he never goes anywhere without it. 

I long, so much I can taste it, to be the kind of wife that is an adequate ezer kenegdo* for this man. I grieve over the times when I don't do as well as I'd like, because I want to be able to minister to him in the way that God created me to. He thinks I'm too hard on myself, sometimes, but the truth is, I let myself off easy more than I'd care to admit. I'm selfish when I should be looking after his needs. I'm self-absorbed when I should be stepping up. I'm less than I'd like to be for my husband, but I'm learning. I'm growing. I'm trying. Not always successfully. It's a process. I've gotten to where I say that a lot. Most things are a process. 

Enough about me. This man is a fantastic husband. When I started the Dukan Diet (post on that before too long), he was so supportive of me that he lost 7 lbs in the first 2 weeks of MY diet. He was so careful not to eat anything I couldn't have in front of me, not to expose me to any temptation, to support my food choices. So supportive. Amazing, right? Even more amazing when you've been unsupported on a diet. It's a whole different animal, this way.

Some things he does really well:

• Remembers to take the trash out, every single week. I don't even think about it until the trash truck is going by and stops to get our trash. 
• Takes care of our home. Our yard looks like someone cares about it. He does beautiful work.
• Knows how to work. 
• More specifically, knows how to run, ground, and whatever else one does to electrical wiring. 
• We have yet to encounter a project on this formerly-fixer-upper (formerly because he's pretty much got it fixed up) that he doesn't know how to fix.
• Prays with me every night. 
• Keeps in touch with family and friends. One of the things he understands about taking care of his own, personal introvert is that she may not always keep track of the important relationships. It's just not on my radar, sometimes, and he's got it covered. 

We've been going through a sermon series on Ruth at church, lately. That's a great book, isn't it? If you haven't given it much thought, I'd be happy to recommend 2 sermon series on it that you can access online. One is the one that's being done at the church we attend now, preached by Matt Williams. The other was a six part sermon series called "Redeeming Ruth" preached by Pastor Mark Driscoll, Mars Hill Church, Seattle, WA.

If you have studied Ruth, you know all about her struggles and about Boaz, her kinsman redeemer, and how he exemplifies the work of Christ. It really is an amazing story. Well, the truth is, this man is my Boaz. He willingly pours out his strength for me, often without reward, and for others. He redeems. He restores whatever can be restored. He gives out of the grace that he's received. It's my honor and privilege to be his wife. I hope someday to be a good one.

Much love.
LL~

*Ezer Kenegdo is the term used in Genesis when God created woman for man. The only other uses in scripture are in describing God Himself. Most versions translate it as helper, helpmeet, etc-- which is kind of weak. Makes me think of the kid who hands out the scissors to the class in first grade, "teacher's helper." The more accurate idea behind the term is that of an essential counterpart, a mighty savior who comes along and delivers help when it's desperately needed by someone who can't make it on his own.It's a warrior term, and the uses of this terminology referring to God tend to be in war-like settings. Gives a different meaning to what a woman is supposed to be, eh?