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“An excellent wife, who can find? For her worth is far above jewels.”  Proverbs 31:10, NAS;  “A good woman is hard to find, and worth far more than diamonds.” Proverbs 31:10, MSG

“The kids were camped out at the neighbor’s house, so I lay in bed next to Anna.  She had been in and out all day.  Her breath’s had become shallow.  As I watched her chest slowly rise and fall, Anna gasped and gulped a bigger than usual breath.  I watched and told her once more, “Babe, it’s ok.  You can go on home”.  She didn’t breathe again.  I got out of bed and moved to the other side and looked at the woman I had loved for so many years.  She was full of faith until her last breath.  She had run her race.  It was over.” It was an unusual set of circumstances.  I was a new friend hanging out with his old friends, privileged beyond measure to hear this young father, who still has 4 kids to raise, tell his friends for the first time in 22 months, about the death of his best girl, his friend, his lover and sweet wife of 23 years.  We were in a crowded and active restaurant having dinner, but that place, at that table, in that time, became a holy and sacred space.  John poured it out for us without a tear.  I’m not sure I have ever swallowed down as much emotion as I did in those 15 minutes of his recollection.  My friends knew of the demons that John had stared down.  It hadn’t all been good or easy.  A part of himself had disappeared from his natural life.  It took a while to figure out how to walk with half of who he once was, now absent.   The counterbalance was gone.  The mystical sewing had unraveled.  Nothing filled the gap she had left in his heart.  Nothing.

I am absolutely convinced that God’s biggest “I love you!” to most married men manifests through our wife’s love for us.  My own wife has taught me how to receive and give love in ways I never imagined.  She has brought things to the surface that would have never come to light out of my heart’s shadow.  She has shown me the better way to be, live and love.  I am fully aware of the power in God’s atonement for mankind, but my girl has been “Jesus with skin” for 30+ years.  I know the cross was love.  I get it.  I know Jesus, I know Father God, and I know the Holy Spirit, and I see and understand His great love for me in thousands of ways.  But, back when I didn’t get any of those things, He loved me, took care of me, got my back, loved on my future by giving me the love of my life.   When I see her (and I don’t always see her) I understand how much God loves me.  I got a gift.  I thought I just married the hottest chick on the planet.  True enough, but in actuality, I found an excellent wife.

“Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her” Ephesians 5:25, NAS. Guys, we need to pay more attention to the treasure He has given us.  Serve more, say the words “I am thankful for you” more, be more, do more… love more.  Do it while you can.  She deserves it.

-MDP-