What I Love About My Wife

It would be virtually impossible for me to sit down and make a list of all the things I love about Ashley. All the gigabytes in cyberspace couldn't handle the size of that file. It would simply be too large of a list. Okay, a bit hyperbolic I suppose, but you get the picture. I know she isn't perfect, but she adds so much to my life that I could not imagine life without her.

I would like to pinpoint one specific thing about her that I am so astounded by. One thing that she does so well, that others would benefit to hear it. Of course there is always her selflessness, although she would deny it (of course). She constantly gives and gives and gives for me and the kids and others before she thinks of herself. I see this lived out in her life on a daily basis, but that is not what I want to highlight in this posting. No, that fits under the auspices of a larger umbrella. An umbrella that covers so much of what I love about my wife of six years - my Ashley.

Ashley does something that any woman would do well to emulate, and it is something I only hope that our Abigail will follow and it is this... simply put- Ashley can make anything beautiful.

Why is this so important you may ask? Well, let me clarify that it is not the ability to make something beautiful that is what is so important. What is important is her DESIRE to make something that may seem so simple and undignified, well, beautiful. For this, in my estimation, is exactly what God does as he works on our hearts and in our lives. He has taken these hardened lumps of clay and is turning them into works of art which display His glory for all the world to see and honor Him.

For Ashley, it can be a meal, or housework, or designing a resume (hers has flowers on it)! But what she does most often is tries to make every day beautiful. Regardless if it is raining, sunny, cold, or warm, each day without some kind of good family time is a day wasted. She busies herself to maintain a nice home so that she can enjoy the opportunity to relax from doing housework and invest the time in things that really matter. When folks come over to visit or share a meal, they often compliment her on the cleanliness and loveliness of the house. What they sense from the condition of the house, I personally believe, is not cleanliness and neatness, but care and love. Everyone loves a good display of that sort of warmth. Ashley does not do anything without doing it well. Her philosophy has always been that a job worth doing is a job worth doing well. And why not? That just makes sense! Any other way and your going to have to do the job all over again.

The bottom line is this - Ashley unselfishly and beautifully displays her love for us in every single task she does, be it nursing a wound or making a peanut butter and jelly lunch, or just entering a room. Yesterday I got a heart-shaped caramel corn rice cake in my lunch. Now if she can make a rice cake delightful, that is quite a feat beyond all measure!!! Oh my heart is laughing right now because my cup overflows!!!!

Now let me clarify one thing, lest I lead you astray. Ashley is not made of steel. Her heart is one of flesh just like yours and mine. It is fragile and can be hurt. Believe me - I know! Unfortunately I have caused enormous amounts of pain for her in our first 6 years of marriage. Yet - here she is today folding my socks, snuggling with me on the couch as we veg out on popcorn and a Little House, packing my lunch for me day in and day out. It is another beautiful expression of hers and this one is called GRACE. For apart from grace, nothing can be made beautiful. One must look on a lump of clay with compassion, forgiveness, and a desire for a better end in order for the reforming of that clay into a masterpiece to begin. For so she does with life. Don't misunderstand me, she is not divine, but only human and frail. But she displays on a consistent basis the godly discipline of making all things beautiful.

Ashley Dawn, I love you with all my heart. I can never thank you enough, love you enough, or say I'm sorry enough for all that I have done or haven't done! I thank GOD for so blessing me with such an incredible woman as you for these 8 years of life and 6 years of marriage. I am truly blessed. No matter what comes our way, I want us to walk through it together, side-by-side as long as we both shall live. I never want to live without you. I love you. Thank you for making life all around us so beautiful. As we approach our 6th Anniversary I can't wait to look into your deep, beautiful blue eyes, stroke your beautiful brown hair and kiss your soft lips and say - Happy Anniversary once again. It gives me great joy and pleasure and satisfaction to say it. I love you, my Ashley, my wife. Thank you for being who you are. Happy Anniversary