This is the husband/dad writing…
Tomorrow, May 3rd, we celebrate 10 years of marriage. What a blessing it is to be married to a Proverbs 31 wife. Molly is just plain wonderful…and I am just plain blessed. We still have our pre-marriage workbooks (his and hers) titled “Before You Say I Do”. It’s fun to look through them and see how we answered many many questions.
Here’s a snapshot of some “Reasons Why I’m Marrying Molly” from about 11 years ago:
1) I know she loves me
2) She’s absolutely beautiful inside
3) She smells good : )
4) I love her family
5) I love her singing
6) Because I’m hairy and she doesn’t care : )
7) We both want kids
8) Her belief in God
9) She’s sincere
10) I think about her all of the time
All of those things are still true, except I’m not as hairy on the top of my head I guess.
Along with the rest of our awesome small group, we recently wrote down 50 things we love about each other. We’re blessed to be working our way through Tim Keller’s book The Meaning of Marriage with our small group at church. If you haven’t read it, regardless if you’re single, married, whatever, give it a read. It’s a dandy book. I’ve learned much (from the book and from fellow small groupies) about how I can be a better husband and know I have years worth of room for improvement. It really gets at the purpose of marriage through the eyes of God. Marriage is not for self-affirmation, pleasure, money, fame, or anything else society might really really want us to focus on. God’s purpose in marriage is to give us a friend, a best friend, who can help us become who God intended us to be. Ten years of fun, heartache, family, friends, a little worry, sickness, a kiddo, school, work, another kiddo, different work, another kiddo, more school, a big move. Through all of that, I am joyful. And I am downright elated that I am loved by Molly Ann, and that she has accepted the task of helping me to become who I’m called to be in Christ. That’s a BIG job!
Molly Ann, you are a lovely wife and a lovely momma. And you are deeply loved by so many. Thank you for those special gifts. I pray for many many more anniversaries if that’s God’s will. Happy Anniversary Love! I love you!
If you’re reading this and you’re married, I encourage you to jot down a list of 50 reasons you are blessed to be married to your husband/wife. Then read them to each other. And consider it pure joy.
Proverbs 31: 10-31
10 An excellent wife who can find?
She is far more precious than jewels.
11 The heart of her husband trusts in her,
and he will have no lack of gain.
12 She does him good, and not harm,
all the days of her life.
13 She seeks wool and flax,
and works with willing hands.
14 She is like the ships of the merchant;
she brings her food from afar.
15 She rises while it is yet night
and provides food for her household
and portions for her maidens.
16 She considers a field and buys it;
with the fruit of her hands she plants a vineyard.
17 She dresses herself with strength
and makes her arms strong.
18 She perceives that her merchandise is profitable.
Her lamp does not go out at night.
19 She puts her hands to the distaff,
and her hands hold the spindle.
20 She opens her hand to the poor
and reaches out her hands to the needy.
21 She is not afraid of snow for her household,
for all her household are clothed in scarlet.
22 She makes bed coverings for herself;
her clothing is fine linen and purple.
23 Her husband is known in the gates
when he sits among the elders of the land.
24 She makes linen garments and sells them;
she delivers sashes to the merchant.
25 Strength and dignity are her clothing,
and she laughs at the time to come.
26 She opens her mouth with wisdom,
and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.
27 She looks well to the ways of her household
and does not eat the bread of idleness.
28 Her children rise up and call her blessed;
her husband also, and he praises her:
29 “Many women have done excellently,
but you surpass them all.”
30 Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain,
but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.
31 Give her of the fruit of her hands,
and let her works praise her in the gates.
