A Full Plate

January 2, 2019

A Gift Outside, Inside, On a Plate

1.  Linda and I are quite definitely on the far side of middle age. Whenever I open the newspaper and see the obits, there are people younger than ourselves by many years, a reminder that we are closer to the end of the road than its beginning. Most of the time, we don’t really notice it too much. Some things we used to do without even thinking now require conscious decision-making, but it’s only when we look at photos from years gone by that we really notice our age. The laugh lines in our faces have deepened, the bags under my eyes are permanent fixtures. That being said, I am always appreciative of how Linda takes care of herself. She exercises, doesn’t overindulge, pays attention to the bathroom scale. Even when just working around the house, she always is presentable, and takes care to make sure when we are out together that she dresses for the occasion. No pajama bottoms, baggy sweatshirts, or ghastly tights for her! She makes sure what I see on the outside is easy on my eyes.

2.  Were it merely the outside, it would be a hollow beauty, but that’s not the case. St. Paul once said that though the outer self be wasting away, the inner self is being renewed day by day (2 Corinthians 4:16). Linda’s inner beauty glows more brightly with each passing day. She is careful about what she allows into her mind, and is constantly alert to the needs of others. I know many good people, but both her compassion and diligence are without equal. There is no one I’d rather spend my time with than her because she makes it so easy to do so. Even in those times of disagreement, she makes it easy by her quickness to forgive. She is definitely a Proverbs 31 woman! 

“Many daughters have done well, But you excel them all. Charm is deceitful and beauty is passing, But a woman who fears the LORD, she shall be praised.”  Prov. 31:29-30

3.  I am thankful tonight for what is on her plate. One of the reasons Linda weighs less than when we married is the quality of the meals she places on our plates and the amount of empty space she leaves on hers. It takes good nutrition to feed body and soul, and good discipline to not overdo it. Figuratively, in her, I have a plate that is full not just of food, but of life, because she pushes me to engage in ways I would not if left to myself. Our life-plates are full, all due to her, and I am thankful.