Bob and I have been married for 9 years and together for 10. Bob is not just my husband, but he's everything that God intended for me to have in a partner. He's my confidant. He's my number one cheerleader. He's my comic-relief. He's my lover. He's my best friend. We are not married out of duty or obligation, but our marriage is built on God-principles and based upon love and respect. Do we have the "perfect marriage"? Absolutely not! No one does! But we are acutely aware of just how imperfect we are and we come to the cross daily to leave our marriage at His feet.
And above all else, Bob is the spiritual leader of our home. He puts everything in it's natural order: God, wife, children and then everything else. I'm incredibly proud of the man that Bob is and I love watching him become such an incredible man of God. I am so proud to have Bob as my husband.
But I also realize the important role that I have as his wife. God has placed me by Bob's side as his helper and encourager. Bob needs to know that I support him and love him and that I'm proud of him. He needs to know that he's appreciated and that I recognize how hard that he works for me and for our family.
I love writing Bob love letters, but in the last few months, I've started leaving messages with a dry erase marker on both Bob's and Mason's bathroom mirrors. It's my little love letter to the men in my life. So here was yesterday's message (and no laughing at the pet name!):
"Always know how much I love you.
I'm so proud of you.
Love, Sugarplum"
I realize that often times the best gift that I can give to my husband is the gift of encouragement. It may be a simple, "Thank you." Or maybe a written note that I hide somewhere in the house for him to find. Or maybe a love letter written to him on the bathroom mirror, just so he knows how much I love him and just how proud I am to be his wife. The smallest gestures can be the biggest gift in someone's life.
And while I'm here, I'll report what I've already given for Day #2...
A few weeks ago I befriended a homeless kid outside of BJ's. His name is Lindsay and he's 18 years old. He spent his life in the foster care system and recently aged out, only to end up out on the streets. I keep looking for him every time I'm in that area, but haven't seen him again since. Since that day, I've started keeping a large bag in my car full of clean clothes and old jackets, blankets and food. In the event that I see Lindsay again, I'll have some things to pass along to him (as well as some resources that I've since found out about for him).
I looked for Lindsay today, but I didn't see him. However, I did see another man on a corner that is frequented by homeless men and women, especially now that the weather has become cold. At that red light, I was able to give this man a few t-shirts, a sweater, a blanket and a bag full of snacks and food. It took little to no effort for me to put the bag together and have it available if I saw someone in need.
What will Day #3 bring?
No comments:
Post a Comment