15. a letter to my husband

Kasey,

Every morning, your alarm goes off at 4:30 am. You usually hit the snooze button one or twice and then struggle to get out of bed. You walk the dogs, make some coffee, grab a cereal bar and your lunch, kiss me goodbye, and head off to work before there is any sign of light in the sky.

Your day consists of a heck of a lot of hard labor and a work environment that most people would turn up their nose to. You work long, tiring hours and you make very little. Everyday, I think you gain a new cut, scratch, or bruise. You come home in a state of exhaustion and you work some more. You cut the grass, you take out the trash, you stack firewood, you write a lesson, you meet someone for coffee, you attend a meeting, you teach a Bible study. You listen to my heart and my struggles and give counsel, you help me with my never ending lists of projects, you hear me complain and watch me fall short everyday. You try to stay awake for the little time that you have with me each evening, but its a constant struggle because of the physical labor that you've done since 5:30 that morning.

And everyday, you are full of grace and joy.

You are constantly re-evaluating your methods, your motives, and your actions to guard against the pride that comes before the fall. I watch daily, as you strive for holiness. Your passion for the Lord and the Gospel shine through in every faucet of your life. You serve others wholeheartedly. You stand for the Truth even when you have to stand alone. And I love how excited you get when you get to share with others about Christ's mercy for sinners like us. You live your life unabashedly for our Lord and it's such a blessing and a joy to be the woman that get's to walk beside you and soak it all in.

When we said our vows a little over two years ago, I promised to follow you as you follow Christ. At times, we've ran hand-in-hand straight into the fire. Those are the times that God used to draw us closer together as a couple, to refine us, and to make us more like Him. There have been times of refreshing when we've walked by still waters. He led you, as I followed, into places where we were able to just soak up His blessings and His grace and to rest fully in the comfort of His arms. We've also experienced the season of death when we both lost a little boy that carried a big piece of our hearts with him to meet his Creator. God used this season, and continues to use it, to show us just how sustaining His grace really is. He has graciously allowed us to experience His peace, His sovereignty, His grace, His mercy, His perfection, His joy and His holiness in a whole new way, through our suffering.

October 2008

As I have followed you, as you have followed Christ, God has stirred up in me, a respect and appreciation for you as my husband and my best friend. I'm so grateful for the hardworking, grace-giving, faithful husband that you are! You sacrifice every day to provide for us and to serve Christ and the Church. I'm so blessed by your heart for the Lord and your passion for the Gospel. You have exceeded every expectation I had of what I wanted in a godly husband and your continued faithfulness to the Truth causes me to strive to be a better wife for you every day. I look up to you. Thank you for your hard work and the sacrifices that you make for 'us' each and every day. I'm humbled and honored that God chose me to be your wife and your best friend. I love this life that God has given us and I can't imagine doing it with anyone else.

I love you, Kase!

Forever and always,
Katie
xoxoxox