Forty-five

Today my wonderful husband turns forty-five!  And he gets to celebrate it by working an extra-long day at the office!  Woo-hoo!

Now me, I’d take the day off, go have lunch out somewhere nice, buy myself something new…but that’s not who Chris is.  He’s steady and sturdy.  Reliable.  Thorough.

Anyone who has been privileged enough to have their eyes examined by Chris knows the truth to those words.  Those who may be contemplating seeing him in the future:  A word of warning—bring a snack.  Not because of the usual doctor-waiting thing…just because he takes so dang long.  But by the time he’s done, he’ll tell you about the state of your eyes, your heart, and most of your other body organs too.  Thorough. Complete in every detail and carried out with care.

At home, he enjoys gardening, and each spring we can count on seed and plant magazines littering the home, pages dog-eared, as he contemplates different varieties of strawberries or tomatoes.  Then there is the decision of which company to buy from, who has the best deal, when they will ship it, do they have a coupon?  Each plant will then arrive and be individually tended to until it is of age to be transplanted into the garden, where it will receive Miracle-Gro and other special nutrients.  Thorough.  Extremely careful to include everything that is needed.

Chris recently said that God put us together for good reason.  He knew that I needed someone like Chris to weather the storm with me.  When I feel undone, altogether broken, unworthy, Chris is reliably there.  And not just there as a physical presence, although there is much to be said for his broad shoulders and strong arms that hold me and protect me.  His prayers lift me up, the scriptures and wise words from God strengthen me.  His willingness to learn how to meet me in my needs is humbling.  He asks to share my pain, wants to take on as much as he can, to lighten my load; because he has been created to be sturdy and steady, and most of all because he loves me just that much. Thorough.  Being so to the fullest extent or in the truest sense of the word.

Yes, we all joke about Chris and his thoroughness, but I am so very thankful that I have by my side such an amazing, steadfast, loving man.  I can’t help but love him more as I know him more.