June 6 – “Happy Anniversary, Chris”

Happy Anniversary to the greatest friend I have ever had.  Today marks the 36th anniversary of the day Chris and I got married.  I'll save all the really schmaltzy stuff for just her ears, but how can I not proclaim my love on the streets of the internet?    She has stuck by me through neck surgeries and knee surgery, from Houston to Fort Worth and back to inner-city Houston.  Then back to Fort Worth to Mansfield to Denver and down to Galveston.  She has seen me through being a part-time youth pastor making $25 a week (I got a raise to a whopping $35 a week when we got married.  How did we do that?) to being a full-time seminary student.  Then we went through minister of education, seminary again, minister of education again, then back to youth pastor, and now to senior pastor.    We had three great sons, so she got to be the proverbial soccer mom and basketball widow when I started coaching.  She played some coed softball when it wasn't exactly her favorite pastime, but she knew I loved it.    She retired from her nursing career to nurse my Dad in his Alzheimer's days, and now she patiently cares for my Mom, taking her to doctor's appointments and gently convincing her that she really does need to go to water therapy.    She is an amazing cook, and does her best to get me to eat healthy (which I don't mind, as long as healthy includes meat and potatoes somewhere in there).    She opens our home every week to our Bible Study group, and has opened our home to several folks who needed a place to stay.  I remember the family who moved in when we were in Houston.  Our first dog Gideon nipped their toddler when he took a playful swing at me.  There was the high school girl who was taking care of her brother and sister sometimes for days at a time while her parent was gone.  We had all three of them.  We had our niece for awhile.  She was our foray into Lassie League softball, but she just didn't do sports like our boys did.  And of course there was Nathan's best friend who spent his senior year in high school homeschooling with us.  Not to mention the wide assortment of short-term guests we have had over the years.  And through them all Chris was the consummate hostess.    She will eventually read this, so to her I say: Chirs, you have been my best friend for at least 39 years (I think that's the number of years we figured we have known each other) – since you were a freshman at Houston Baptist College (now University).  You have made some unbelievable sacrifices as a pastor's wife, and I appreciate you for it.  You have felt like it has been difficult for you to have a lot of friends in your position, but I want you to know you deserve to have so many friends you couldn't even get around to talking to them all in one day.  And once again … you are my truest friend.  I love you.   Song of Solomon 4:9-10 says, "You have stolen my heart, my sister, my bride; you have stolen my heart with one glance of your eyes, with one jewel of your necklace.  How delightful is your love, my sister, my bride!  How much more pleasing is your love than wine, and the fragrance of your perfume than any spice!"   Father, I am overwhelmed by your incredible gifts to me, none more amazing than my wife.  Than you.  Amen.