My amazing wife...

So,  I am sitting in my in-laws living room, on a grand total of 45 minutes sleep in the last two days.  I actually feel sick, but somehow I can't seem to slow my brain down.

Why would anyone wake up, go through their day, then go home, load a car and drive with three kids under 7 -for 12 + hours through a blizzard.  I then have to wake up at 4:30 tomorrow morning in order to fly all the way home in order to get back for church and work.  Why would I deprive myself of sleep? Of the comforts of my own home?  What would possess me to go through this? (not to mention the financial costs)? 

Because my wife is amazing and I love her more than I ever thought I could love someone other than myself.

My beloved wife has an interesting family situation.  To sum it up, she and her sisters had become estranged from their father.  Years of heart ache and pain drove them far away from any semblance of communication.  I looked at the situation and frankly I felt no hope that anything would ever be different.  I had written everyone off as too stubborn, proud and religious to ever repent and try to reunite their hearts.

But not my wife.  She endured. She always chose to forgive, even when she had every "right" to hold on to bitterness.  It was fair that she was angry, hurt, disappointed... but that didn't stop her great heart from trusting Jesus and following His lead.

A few months ago, the Holy Spirit asked to do something that made ZERO sense to me.  I was mad for her.  I felt justified in the position I thought she should hold on to. 

Instead she obeyed, she forgave, and she has changed the course of her family's destiny. 

To sum up, her obedience and bravery have broken down barriers that are decades old.  Through continued vulnerability and love where it was not deserved she is causing hearts to soften (hearts that I had written off).

The result - I am in my wife's parents house for the first time in years... exhausted from a crazy road trip and FULL of pride in my amazing wife.  Being tired for a short term is of small consequence to her persistent forgiveness, her pursuit of loving, healthy, relationships, her brave vulnerability.

My wife looks a lot like Jesus when she does stuff like this and I couldn't be more proud to serve her in this.

I love you babe.  You are so amazing.