On this St. Valentine’s day, I want to offer public thanks to God for the greatest gift in my life, my Long Suffering (and Long Loving) Wife, Karyn.

My heavenly Father,

Knowing you through Jesus Christ my Lord would be enough for me through all eternity. That alone is more than I could ever deserve. But you chose to bless me and lavish upon me many other undeserved graces in this life as a foretaste of the glory to come. Chief among all of those, is your gift of Karyn to me.

Lord, I don’t know whether or not you design one special person for each of us, but I do know that you gave me in Karyn the perfect fit for me. I thank you first of all for her faithfulness to you and to me. I know very well that the latter flows out of the former. You know, Lord, that for as long as we’ve been married, I have never once heard the slightest expression of doubt in her at your goodness or lovingkindness. She lives in a peace and contentment with you that few people know. I, on the other hand, have given her many reasons to doubt me. Yet, she has never wavered in her faithfulness to the covenant we made before you. She has loved me when I was unlovely, and in doing that, she reminds me of You.

But, Lord, I don’t just thank you for giving Karyn heart and courage to “hang in there.” I also thank you for the sheer joy she brings into my life. No one else but you knows how much of a friend she is to me. It would simply be impossible for anyone else on earth to be as close to me and know me as well as she does. What wisdom I have gained from my talks with her! How many times she has diverted me from paths that would dishonor You. But beyond that wisdom and discernment, I also thank you for the sheer fun that she brings into my life. I believe you created us for Joy, and you gave me Karyn to lead me in the ways of Joy.

Lord, thank you also for making her an incredible mother. I look at my two daughters, both loving and serving you, and I know that who they are is so much wrapped up in who their mother was (and is) to them. Thank you for the gift of patience and gentleness you gave her that made her children bold to confide in her through their darkest hours. Thank you for the wisdom you gave her to teach them, wisdom they still rely on to this day.

Lord, I thank you for the heart of love and compassion you gave to my wife. I know that community-building is not explicit in the gifts listed in Your Word, but that is what I name the gift you gave her. She is a community builder. Wherever she is, she builds connections of love and trust between people. People are drawn to her and thus to one another. She builds bridges and makes peace. She welcomes people into her home and feeds them physically and spiritually. She is a listening ear and a warm embrace to the troubled and lonely. She never rests if she knows someone is hurting.

My Lord, you know that this is only a small part of the list I could make of the blessings you have bestowed upon me in my wife. You know that I tell You all the time that I suspect that I am actually the most blessed man on earth, though I don’t understand why I should be. May you mulitply the fruitfulness of my wife. May the blessings she has been to me be extended to many, many others. And may you make me a more and more fitting setting for such a jewel to be displayed.

Amen.

This entry was posted on Monday, February 14th, 2005 at 8:13 am and is filed under Family & Friends. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.