To The Love of My Life

(This photo was taken on our anniversary when our dear friends took us out to celebrate. This year we will celebrate 26 years of marriage...)


Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.
I Corinthians 13: 4-8
NIV

When I was 6 years old, my mother accepted Christ. She later told me that it was at that time that she began praying for the husband that I would have one day. And God gave me Ken (although he claims it’s the other way around). I have always believed that because of my mother’s faithfulness to Him, God honored her prayers for a loving, devoted, Christian husband for me, her only child.

I have come to realize that Ken was a gift for all of us. God answered my mother’s prayers, I believe, because she was a faithful servant and true believer. And my, did she love Kenny! Before we went out on our first date, she told my dad, “She’ll marry that boy.” My dad could hardly believe what she was saying, especially since we had not even gone out, yet he knew my mother knew things.

My dad, who believed in God at the time, but had not accepted Christ, loved Kenny for different reasons. Daddy was grateful to Kenny for being such an outstanding worker and provider for his family; he knew Ken took great care of me (and later Matthew as well) and that gave my father great comfort. Both my parents came to love him more and more through the years. He was everything they hoped for in a mate for their only daughter and so much more. They felt so lucky and they had every right to feel that way.

I am grateful to Ken because not only has he been a wonderful husband, but he has been an incredible father for our son, our only child. He is a God-fearing man and has been an incredible example as a father, being patient, loving and kind. He is also an affectionate father (although not too much!) and one who has always been available to Matthew – and his friends. He has coached Little League baseball and Team One Basketball and even played in a pick-up league with our son and his friends (along with some of their dads). In fact, he played even after breaking his hand playing and long after his bad knee gave out. That’s what good dads do – they continue to support their kids even when it’s not convenient for them as individuals.

Beyond all of that, I am appreciative of the husband he has always been to me. I once read the best gift a father can give his children is to love their mother. I understand that because it means setting an example for them. And Ken has certainly done that. He sets a wonderful example for our son and if Matthew hasn’t learned how to treat a lady, it’s not for lack of a wonderful role model. Ken treats me with the utmost respect, ALWAYS opens car doors and places a high value on my opinions and wishes. He never cares how much I spend, what I want to buy, or how many people I want to have in for dinner. He is considerate of my feelings and how I feel physically. He genuinely loves my cooking (or at least he says he does!), yet he asks me every day if I'd like to go out for dinner or have him stop by some place for take out.

He is just as generous with his compliments and his wallet in purchasing gifts for me. He starts asking me weeks before my birthday or Valentine’s Day, Christmas and even Easter, what gifts I would like. What’s not to love about this man? He is truly patient with me and has always been supportive of my goals – whether to stay at home or to pursue something outside of home and family.

Beyond that, Ken has set an example as an incredible leader in a sometimes ‘swim with the sharks’ business world. I remember those who worked for Ken crying (including grown men) when we moved from North Carolina to Ohio, telling me, “There’s nobody like Ken.” Well, they didn’t have to tell me that. I knew a good thing once I’d found him!

Although I know it will sound quite mushy, I write today to wish my husband, Ken, a Happy Valentine’s Day. He truly is the gift of a lifetime and if anyone embodies the spirit of I Corinthians 13: 4-8, this man does.

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.
I Corinthians 13: 4-8
NIV

Happy Valentine’s Day, Honey. I love you.