Once in awhile I do these personal posts. They are usually the most viewed. Then sometimes the personal posts are about my wife. They are always the most viewed. Go figure.
(pic of Iris sharing wisdom at small group)
Earlier this week, my wife celebrated her birthday. Since I work weird hours, we didn’t sit down for dinner ’til about 9:00PM. I brought home some take out, and we plopped on the couch and turned on the TV. The movie Up was on.
Now if you have half a soul, you’d cry at this movie. Up makes you think about the future–especially, I think–if you’re married. This was our 8th year of marriage. Time flies.
They say behind every decent man is a great woman…kicking his butt. Well, I found a great one.
I couldn’t help but wonder how would be once we reached Mr. Fredricksen’s age. So upon a bit of reflection, I realized that my wife has:
- taught me to be Godly.
- taught me to be disciplined.
- taught me to be unselfish.
- taught me to be honorable.
- taught me to be considerate.
- taught me to embrace the idea of family.
- taught me to never give up.
- taught me to own my mistakes.
The most important thing in all this: she taught me by modeling it.
I can count the number of leadership books she’s read on one hand. I can count the number of times she’s preached behind a pulpit on one hand. I cannot begin to count the number of lives she’s impacted by simply being who she is.
- stopping what she was doing to buy a homeless guy on the street a Subway sandwich
- encouraging me to buy nicer gifts…for my own mother
- returning the shopping cart all the way across the parking lot even though they have people for that
There are a million other things I could share. And I now realize that even if I speak to, write to, or sing for a million people, that to do so is much easier than living the life she’s modeled. So, happy birthday to my wife, who is the greatest gift I’ve ever received.
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