𝘈𝘯 𝘦𝘹𝘤𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘸𝘪𝘧𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘥? 𝘚𝘩𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘧𝘢𝘳 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘰𝘶𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘫𝘦𝘸𝘦𝘭𝘴. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘩𝘶𝘴𝘣𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘩𝘦𝘳, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘯𝘰 𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘬 𝘰𝘧 𝘨𝘢𝘪𝘯. 𝘚𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘰𝘦𝘴 𝘩𝘪𝘮 𝘨𝘰𝘰𝘥, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘮, 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦. 𝘗𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘣𝘴 31:10-12

In June 2016, I was a mess. I never knew what it meant to be eviscerated, but the events of those past years showed me. For those of you who know pain, you know the reality of wondering if the mysteries of death would be better than the realities of life. I lost everything, and in losing it all, there was no one more lost than I.

I felt like a piece of trash flung on the dung pile of life. I felt worse than worthless. Then she reached out to me. She knew I was hurting, so she became my friend. Why? Because that’s just who she is. It’s something about her beautiful heart that causes her to see what others can’t. Instead of seeing garbage, she saw a broken man who needed the healing balm of kindness.

I never met anyone so patient. I must have sounded like a raving lunatic ranting about the injustices of life while at the same time extolling the glories of the sovereignty of God. And just as wounded animals involuntarily nip when you get too close to the injury, so, at times, I would lash out even while she was showing compassion.

Even in my hope to repair the past, she remained present, steady, and true. As yesterday’s doors permanently closed, so new windows opened. Who knew that the opening would bring in rushes of fragrant spring air long imprisoned in the harsh winter storm?

She never stopped believing in me, even after I stopped believing in myself. God’s gifts are often right before our eyes, but we sometimes are blind to their presence. It’s only as He opens our eyes that we can see what was once beyond our capacity.

𝘈𝘯 𝘦𝘹𝘤𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘸𝘪𝘧𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘳𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘩𝘶𝘴𝘣𝘢𝘯𝘥... 𝘗𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘣𝘴 12:4

Who knew that I could be transformed from trash into treasure? And what’s even more remarkable is to receive the greatest treasure a man can have, that of a godly and beautiful wife.

𝘏𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘴 𝘢 𝘸𝘪𝘧𝘦 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘴 𝘢 𝘨𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘣𝘵𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘴 𝘧𝘢𝘷𝘰𝘳 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘓𝘰𝘳𝘥. 𝘗𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘣𝘴 18:22

Kelly, our first year of marriage has been lovely. How can I thank you for your love, beauty, kindness, and patience? You don’t just make life an adventure, you are the adventure. I pray I can be as great a gift to you as you are to me. Happy 1st Anniversary!