Today is Valentine’s Day. Many women will be at their jobs and a large bouquet of flowers will be delivered to them. Perhaps it will be accompanied by a stuffed animal and some candy. Everyone in the office will make a fuss over those women. My wife works in an office as well. She doesn’t like flowers and she’s not big on large boxes of chocolate. So this is my delivery to her. I want everyone to know that she means the world to me. This is an open letter to my bride for Valentine’s Day.
I met a young woman in 2006 that would change my life forever. Describing her in words is unnecessary, because she is most beautiful through my eyes. Certainly there are those that see and recognize her for who she is. She is radiant, intelligent, passionate and kind. She is an amazing wife to me. But I see her as so much more. It is as if the Lord has given me a special grace to behold her in a way in which no other person can.
I find myself drawn to her in an unexplainable way. My marriage to her is not something I simply endure. I enjoy her. To be honest, she is what I look forward to every day. She brings joy to my soul. She inspires me. She challenges me. Presently we have been married for over 2 years. During these years, at times we have had to be apart. Recently we were apart for 5 days. But there has hardly been a moment that she has not been the subject of my thoughts. I would have to say that throughout the last 2 years my thoughts have been saturated with Jesus and my wife. I know that we often say we are “attracted to someone”. But it is more than that with her. There is something about her that draws me. I certainly do not think it is anything she does intentionally. I am simply taken aback, intrigued by her as a person. I am drawn to her as a collector of fine art might be drawn to a masterpiece hanging on the wall of a museum. Can you see the collector as he draws near to the work of art? He is all alone as he looks intently at the work. He inspects it. He is mesmerized by it. Others walk by, recognize the beauty and move on. But something about the work keeps this man’s attention, his affections even. He ignores the rest of the museum and spends his day beholding the beauty of this particular piece. It is clear that others recognize the beauty of my sweet wife. But they do not recognize it as I do. There is no other piece of God’s handiwork that can bring me the pleasure that she does. I have stood before her for over 2 years gazing at her beauty. I find I have not even begun to see all the beauty that lies within her. I am certain that a lifetime will not be long enough.
I hesitate to simply say “I love my wife.” That phrase has become so cliché. I certainly do love her. But I don’t think that phrase fully expresses what I think of her. I long for her. She amazes me. I find delight in her. She is my beloved and my friend. I am perplexed when I try and understand how her small hands can have such a grasp on my heart. I can only explain the love I have for her by the grace of God. The Lord has enabled me to love her in a very unique way. I must also add that her love toward me is an extremely humbling reality. To love her is a privilege, but to be loved by her is an even greater privilege. I believe in a different kind of love than the cultural love we celebrate this day. I cling tightly to a covenantal love that is not defined by feelings or emotions, but rather, a love committed to the promises we made on our wedding day. Yet, that covenantal love is but a mere reflection of Christ's covenantal love for his bride. Not only has Christ perfectly loved his bride (the church), he lays himself down for her treason against him. Yet he holds no wrongs against her, but forgives her daily and lavishes her with his love because he is committed to his vows and promises he made to her. Jenn knows I am not her Savior, she knows I break promises, but most of all she loves her Savior more than she loves me. That fact alone is the intrinsic factor in why I treasure her. She is a reflection of the objective love of God and points me to the one who truly is committed to me, my true treasure Christ Jesus.
I love you Jenny-bear.
