See this guy?
(I’m referring to the tall one…not the short one.)
I really like him. I remember the first time I saw him and I just kept telling God what a good job He did at making him. I was like, “He’s just so beautiful…so beautiful.”

Yep, the first time he smiled at me and I saw that his eyes were all blue and sparkly–woe–I was smitten. But, of course, I had to mostly ignore him and pretend that I didn’t care for him because I was so afraid that I would just repeat the same past mistakes or that I would do it all wrong.

You wanna know something amazing? Something that I’ve discovered since I’ve known him? I feel the most loved by God…through Brent. It’s true.

You know how it says in the Bible that God made us and He loves us? And you know that comforting little song that we’re all familiar with…Jesus loves me, this I know? Well, I often know in my head that I am loved by my Maker…but there are these joy-bursting moments when I actually feel it. Like, I can reach out and touch it and there it is. And when I trace back the source of where all this God-overwhelming love is coming from…it dawns on me…so much of it is flowing through Brent.

I wonder if this is how God chooses to love us the most…in a way that we feel it the best…through His people?

There are so many things that I adore about him. For one thing, he patiently asks me time and time again what’s wrong, even though I tell him, “nothing” because I’m not completely sure myself. And then he just sits and listens to me ramble and confuse myself and then somehow in the talking I’m able to make sense of it all. And then at the end of the conversation, I feel…loved. Loved that this man would care enough to want to know what’s all jumbled up deep inside my heart.

And every once in a while in the night, when I just can’t sleep, I wake him up and find him willing to stay awake with me and talk or laugh.

Do you know what else he does? He receives his joy in life from the things that bring me joy. Isn’t that crazy? When I’m interested in things, he becomes interested in them. And then he enjoys those things along with me. He discovers the things that I love and that I think are beautiful, and then everywhere we go, he points them out to me. He delights to see me delighted.

He also has the tenderest heart of anyone I know. Some may think it’s not quite masculine to possess a tender heart…I think it’s a great strength. He’s usually the first to say, “I was wrong,” and “Will you forgive me?”

Besides all that, he’s an exceedingly wonderful daddy.
He’s the kind of daddy that all kids really need. He’s attentive and affectionate, patient yet firm. Most of all, he’s the daddy that is there. He comes home from work as soon as he can, just to be with us. And sometimes he even says, “Let’s go sneak in Gideon’s room so we can look at him while he’s sleeping.”

I don’t ever want to take one day with him for granted. And I want the world to know (or at least, all the people in our world to know) how wonderful he is.

This weekend is his birthday.
So, I plan to treasure the moments with him. I’m thanking our Maker for thinking him up before the dawn of time and for loving me so much through him.

Happy Birthday, Brent. I’m so glad you’re in my life.