Do You Know?

My husband's birthday is tomorrow, so this blog is in honor of him, and written to him.

I may consider myself a writer in some respects, but when I try to put into words how I feel about you, I struggle. I do not want to lift you up higher than my heavenly Father, but you mean so much to me that my attempts at telling you fall short. But I will do my best to write on paper what my heart is saying. 

Do you know that I still get excited when I know you are almost home? It's like a nervous feeling in my stomach when I see your car pull in the driveway. Perhaps not as intense as it was in our infatuation days, but it is still there. 

Do you know my heart skips a beat when you laugh at my jokes? It's true. And hearing your laugh is probably one of my most favorite sounds in the world.

Do you know that I can't imagine what life would be without you? Does that sound cliche? What I mean is that when I look down the road at my future you are always there.  I understand that there are things out of my control that could take you out of that picture--but as far as it is up to me my future will always include you. 

Do you know that I have absolutely no way of measuring how handsome you are? It is impossible for me to be objective.  Who you are and what you mean to me is all wrapped up in how I see you. I cannot begin to separate those things, and so you are the most wonderful looking man I've ever seen.

Do you know that our marriage helps me understand Christ's love for believers? You have promised me that you will always love  me--through the good and the bad. Your love is not based on how you feel about me on any particular day--your love is based on the fact that I am your wife. The security I feel in knowing you will always love me is a picture to me of God's love for His chosen. 

Do you know you are my best friend? Again, I don't mean to sound cliche. You truly are the first person I go to when I'm distressed, the first person I want to share good news with, and the first person I think of when I consider the friends in my life. There is no one I'd rather discuss the deep complexities of life with, there is no one I'd rather hash out theology with, and there is no one whose opinion carries more weight with me. And there is no better feeling than when I realize that you agree with me--even when no one else does. And even when you don't agree with me, my differing opinion is not something you can just discard. Whether we like it or not, my opinion changes you and your opinion changes me until we somehow, maybe years down the road, find that the thing we used to disagree on is something that we stand firmly together on. That is a wonderful thing!

These are just a few of the things that came to mind as I wrote this. I love you so much, and I don't say it enough. You truly are "my favorite person". Happy Birthday, my beloved!