A Rare Thing

Proverbs 31: 10-31.

“An excellent wife who can find? For her worth is far above jewels. The heart of her husband trusts in her, and he will have no lack of gain.”

When most people get married they are at a point in their lives when they are the least qualified to make one of the most important decisions in their lives… the selection of a mate to spend the rest of their life with.

Julie and I were married when we were 18… she was the only girl I ever dated. I wish I could say that I carefully evaluated all the available young women and weighed their virtues and made a careful choice… such was not the case. And yet even though that was not my process I ended up with an excellent wife far more precious to me than anything else in this world. Without her nothing else really matters.

I trust her and as the years go by I trust her more and more and in fact have complete confidence in her. Trust is liberating. Trust and the absence of mistrust allow you to devote your full energy to other things like living a life of service to others.

“She does him good and not evil all the days of her life.”

Not only does Julie do good for me but she often does it at the expense of her own needs. She looks for and pays attention to things I might need. She keeps me happy. One of the huge things I appreciate about her is that she believes in me and supports me in my role as an elder in the congregation.

“She opens her mouth in wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.”

Julie knows her Bible. Oftentimes in class when the teacher asks a question she is one of the few voices that consistently knows the correct answer. She has a quiet spirit and does not push herself on others and yet I often see young women come to her for advice.

She has a wonderful sense of humor.

“Her husband also, and he praises her, saying: Many daughters have done nobly, But you excel them all, charm is deceitful and beauty is vain, But a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised. Give her the product of her hands, and let her works praise her in the gates.”

I saw these sentiments expressed and I wish I had written them….

And I said to myself
What a wonderful world
Because today is the day the world was made forever brighter and sweeter
Because today is the anniversary of your birth
Lucky world
Lucky me
Happy Birthday