Linda

 February 23, 2021

A little more than eight years ago, began writing about the things for which I was thankful. It turned out to be one of the most transformative disciplines in which I’ve ever engaged. The melancholy which had dogged my steps for most of my adult life slowly faded away, and has only occasionally reared its ugly head in the years since. When it does, I know how to send it packing: thanksgiving.

During these past eight years, I’ve given thanks, but my musings have also morphed into reflections on Scripture, the Creed, theology, and life itself. Tonight I return to simple gratitude. It’s my wife’s birthday, and apart from the gift of salvation in Christ, she is the best gift God ever gave me. I never could have imagined more than fifty years ago how one person could so completely fulfill another as she has done for me. It’s not always been easy; we’ve had our share of disagreements. After all, we are very different. For one thing, one of us is male and the other is female. If that isn’t enough, one of us is quiet, the other not. One of us is more musically minded, the other more sports minded. One of us likes to travel, the other would prefer to never get far enough from home that would require an overnight stay. 

Here’s what I know: my life would be infinitely more impoverished were it not for Linda being front and center in it. She has taught me more than anyone else about compassion, patience, people, grace, and love. She was the key to any success I had in ministry. I preached, but she has the pastor’s heart for people. Her love, forgiveness, patient endurance, sarcasm, and just plain goodness have blessed me beyond measure.

Before we were married, we talked about how we wanted to order our lives. One of the things that was important to me would get me branded as a hopeless chauvinist, but when we talked about a career, I told her we would need to sort out how that would work when the children started coming. I said, “I want you to raise our children; if I wanted someone else to do it, I would marry someone else.” She never thought of herself as good with children, but I could see what she couldn’t. She remains the wife of my dreams, the mother any child would be lucky to have, and the grandmother of all grandmothers. Thank you, Lord, for this woman you gave me. Thank you Linda, for the life you’ve given me. I love you and am so grateful you chose me, even if it was only for because you liked my eyes.