Nine Years Ago Today

Proverbs 18:22 – He who finds a wife finds a good thing and obtains favor from the Lord.

As strange as it is for me to recognize, it has been nine years since Mitzi and I were married. In nine years, we have lived in Bolingbrook, in Louisville, in Dongola, in South Korea, and in Olney. In nine years we have welcomed two wonderful children into the world. In nine years we have served in a variety of ministries, ministered to a variety of people, and visited a variety of places.

One thing that I am certain of, as we enter into our tenth year of marriage, is that Proverbs 18:22 is absolutely true. In my wife, God has blessed me with something good. In my wife, God has shown me his favor. In my wife, God has given me more grace and more mercy than I could ever deserve.

Why do I think this? My wife is lovely in every way. She is committed to ministry with me in a way that I seldom see among pastors and their wives. She is always learning, reading and studying even when it is hard or when time is thin. She cares for others. She is always looking for ways to give, to serve, to support, or to make others feel special.

In my wife, I have a true partner in ministry and in life. She is not someone who is only willing to go so far or take small risks to glorify God. My wife has shown a willingness to move to a foreign country or to rural America in order to follow God’s leading. She does not draw lines and say she is unwilling to serve God if it costs too much. She gives, loves, and serves for God’s glory.

In my wife, my children have a wonderful mother. She plays with them, prays with them, snuggles with them, and teaches them. She reads to them, cares for their needs, and looks for ways to make them feel special. She is not afraid to discipline the children, but she is always there to love them and to make sure that they know that all discipline is for the purpose of teaching them to follow their God in a way that pleases Him.

I could write page after page to describe how wonderful my wife is, but she’d never have time to sit and read through it all. But let me say this: If I had everything to do over, from beginning to end, I could not ask for a better wife, better friend, better mother for my children than Mitzi. I would not trade her for anything in the world. Nine years ago, today, is one of the best moments in my life, as it began a great journey that I am totally committed to until death parts us.

What is true of my wife?

Proverbs 31:26-29

She opens her mouth with wisdom,
and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.
She looks well to the ways of her household
and does not eat the bread of idleness.
Her children rise up and call her blessed;
her husband also, and he praises her:
“Many women have done excellently,
but you surpass them all.”