July 3, 2007

Elizabeth Elliot once wrote:

A wife, if she is very generous, may allow that her husband lives up to eighty percent of her expectations. There is always the other twenty percent that she would like to change, and she may chip away at it for the whole of their married life without reducing it by very much. She may, on the other hand, simply decide to enjoy the other eighty percent.

       
         What can we do to force ourselves to put down the chisel and stop chipping away at our husbands? How can we come to a place where we simply “enjoy the other 80 percent?” The answer partly lies in making a regular practice of celebrating our husbands – remembering why we fell in love with them, focusing on those qualities that we love, and communicating to them how special and appreciated they really are. Easier said than done, especially when you are picking your husband’s dirty clothes up off the floor and placing them in the hamper – for the millionth time!  The truth is, criticism comes much more naturally than praise, words of correction much more naturally than words of encouragement, and selfish disregard much more naturally than genuine respect. Because of this, the effort to focus on the good things about our husbands is something we must be intentional about. We literally have to stop on a regular basis and choose to reflect on “the other 80 percent.”

My precious husband turns 30 years old today, and I can’t think of a better time to do some reflecting myself. I thought I’d honor Greg today by posting a list of 30 things I love and appreciate most about him, in no particular order. Surely, there are more, but I’m going to stick with the birthday theme. I hope that these things make you think of things you love about your own husband if you are married. Perhaps you could find the time today to sit down and make your own list. Slip it into your husband’s briefcase, put it on his dashboard, or read it to him before you go to bed. You certainly don’t have to wait until it’s his birthday.

My sweet Greg, I love . . .

• Your integrity, your unwavering commitment to do what’s right, no matter how insignificant the issue may seem to others, or how much it might cost you. This is the quality that first attracted me to you and still amazes me.
• Your laid back, easy-going personality. I love how you help me to have fun, to relax, and to focus on what really matters, even when I’d rather stay uptight and task-oriented.
• Your kind and generous spirit.
• Your authenticity.
• Your firm, yet gentle correction. You know my tendency toward being a tad opinionated and “jerk-ish.” I love that you don’t let me get away with this. Your correction doesn’t feel good at the time, but I’m so thankful for it.
• Your willingness to go along with my crazy food cravings. Whether it’s Cracker Barrel dumplings, Outback Chicken on the Barbie, Chili’s chips and salsa, PF Chang’s Spicy Chicken, or a Chick-fil-a chicken biscuit, if you have the time and we have the money, you go out of your way to make my tummy happy.
• Your faithful financial stewardship. Thank you for making such wise decisions.
• Your eyes. Beautiful blue. Kind and gentle. I love them.
• Your encouragement. You dream much bigger dreams for me than I do for myself. You are an amazing cheerleader.
• Your sacrifice. I know my teaching ministry demands quite a bit of my time. Sometimes when I’m in “study mode”, I don’t get to all the laundry, run out of time to prepare dinner, or get a little behind on the bookkeeping. I’ve never heard you complain. Thank you for going out of your way to help me stay focused on my preparation.
• Your love for coffee. One of my favorite things is sharing a cup of coffee with you after dinner. It always tastes better when I’m with you!
• Your persistence. You don’t give up. You certainly didn’t give up on me, even though I wasn’t an easy “catch.” I’m so thankful!
• Your passion for purity.
• Your kisses.
• Your love for my cooking. Thanks for making me feel like a gourmet chef, even when the food I prepare is not so great.
• Your determination to introduce me to new things like Rocky movies, Good and Plenty’s, sleeping in, and Star Trek re-runs.
• Your friendship. There is truly no one in this world I would rather spend my time with than you.
• Your willingness to let me eat off your plate. Thanks for all the fries, garlic bread, quesadillas, and sips of milkshakes you’ve willingly sacrificed.
• Your prayers.
• Your patience. Thank you for being so willing to overlook my faults.
• Your willingness to disagree with me. It hurts, but it’s a good thing. Iron sharpening iron. Once-in-a-while, you are right. J
• Your heart for missions.
• Your regular reminders that you think I’m beautiful.
• Your shoulder. The very best place to lay my head.
• Your smile.
• Your love for children. You are going to be the best daddy one day.
• Your tenderness. You treat me with such care.
• Your testimony. It’s powerful!
• Your servant’s heart.
• Your future. How thankful I am that you have chosen to spend it with me!

Happy birthday to my precious Greg. I love you so very much!