Today is my wife's birthday. As part of my gift to her this year I want to say a few words about what makes her so special to me. I have just finished reading Tim Keller's The Reason for God, and the idea for this post came to me while I was finishing the book on the flight back to Texas. It is a great book, and I have already told some of you how much I was enjoying it and how impressed I am with Keller.
In this book Keller describes two people falling in love and getting married. Keller asks, “Sound like heaven?” and answers “Yes, because it comes from heaven.” Chandra is not just a breath of fresh air in my life—she is a breath of God's love and grace poured into my life on a daily basis. She is a breath of heaven. When I asked her to marry me I told her that. It is more true now than it was then.
Since the rest of Reason was so good I went ahead and read all the way through the acknowledgments at the end, too. I am glad I did since the last paragraph in the Acknowledgments was the highlight of the book for me. Keller says, “My wife, Kathy, never gets footnoted, yet she is the main author of the faith and thought of this author. She put me on to Lewis, to Edwards and Reformed theology, and to the importance of prayer, social justice, and the city.” I choked up when I read this, because it reminded me of how much Chandra does for me, too.
Chandra, you mean so much to me. It is wonderful to have you by my side in this crazy, blessed life we live.
Happy Birthday!
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Oh yay! I just love this topic. And there's SO much to say about it. :)
ReplyDeleteI love the way Chandra remembers what's going on in everyone's life and follows-up on it later. It communicates such a sense of genuine CARE.
I love the way Chandra can be so hospitable and generous while being so incredibly humble at the same time. That's something I think I'm still learning.
I love the way I've never heard a single negative or questionable word ever come out of her mouth about her husband or her marriage or about the life God has given her. This shows such a sense of trust and contentment with her God and honor to her husband. Also learning a LOT about these things, and thankful for her constant and convicting example.
Most of all, I love the way she's my big sister!!! Happy, happy birthday, dear one! We love you so much and are so proud that you're in our family! It wouldn't be the same without you! :)
I agree with all of the above so much that I will just point out some of the non-serious things I appreciate about Chandra:
ReplyDeleteThe way she can fold in two on an airplane and immediately fall asleep for the entire flight
The way she played soccer barefoot on the beach with Walt wearing her pearl necklace the first weekend she spent with our family
Her overalls
The amount of milk she can go through in a week
How strict she can be with Lucy - I was so surprised and impressed the first time I heard her discipline her!
The fact that she calls me Amy Lane
Her trucks
The references to The Woodlands as "The Hood-lands"
On a more serious note, when I first got to know Chandra it was the week she graduated. We were roommates at RUF summer conference and, in her usual way, Chandra made a point to talk to me and spend time with me even though I was the youngest person there. After one fun conversation I thought, "I can't believe I'm just getting to know her right after she's leaving RUF. Too bad I can't think of a way for us to stay in touch..." And then the next day I found out Walt was starting to date her! Chandra, I'm so glad you're in our family and I love you!