Happy Birthday, Michael!

Nearly five years ago, I was happily independent and fairly intent on staying that way. I didn't need a boyfriend, and I definitely didn't need a husband. I had important things to do, and I wanted to do them my own way.


But then you walked into my life. Quietly, you wooed me. And very quickly, all those plans I had went skipping away. You were the man God wanted for me, and you would be in His timing for me. I thank Him every single day that it is indeed you that I get to spend the rest of my life with. You are my greatest blessing, all the time. It is an incredible adventure, being married to you.


Each year that goes by, I have the unique privilege of watching you grow into more of a man, more of the man that you are. You are kind and tenderhearted, and yet you are strong and full of conviction. You have become such a leader, both in our family and in other arenas. You lead us confidently down the path that you believe God has chosen for us, but you do it humbly. You are a delight to follow, and it is an honor to be your helper.


My heart bursts for you when I see you as a father. You love recklessly, and without abandon. You teach, you shepherd, and you discipline. It is exciting to see your influence in our girls, and to see reflections of you in their personalities. It is exciting to see the fruit of your prayer and your work already working out in their lives. But above all, you acknowledge that God has been so gracious to us.


Every day, I see you lay down your own life for me. You do this in the little things, like in eating yet another peanut butter and jelly sandwich for the sake of the budget or in letting me use the laptop, even when you had other plans for the night. You also do this in bigger ways; I know that it can be a major sacrifice to love me well when I am having a down day, and yet you do, and it seems effortless.


You are a man of your word. If you tell me something will happen, it will happen. You faithfully and joyfully set out to complete what you have said you will complete. It is a blessing that in almost four years of marriage, I cannot remember a time that I have had to take out the garbage. And you always amaze me at what you can do, even if you've never done it before. I am so confident in your ability to dream up and execute just about anything.


Your creativity is always amazing to me. It is so much fun for me to watch you in your new ventures at work. You dream big, and you do what needs to be done to carry out those dreams. Your work is beautiful. No wonder you scored a meeting with a potential client with ease! You are a man of integrity and honor in the workplace, and you heap blessings on your clients. My heart swells with pride when I hear others talk about your work, but most often they're even more excited to talk about you. You are a man set apart in a marketplace of underhanded deals and shoddy craftsmanship. God is already using your work in a mighty way, and it's exciting to see how He might use it in the future!


Michael, you are twenty-seven today. I am so thankful for you, for the years that I have known you, and for the years before that God was already at work in your life. It is an honor to be your wife, to know that I will, by God's grace, see many more years with you. I love you so much!