"HE WHO FINDS A WIFE..."

"The man who finds a wife finds a good thing, she is a blessing to him from the Lord"  Proverbs 18:22 (TLB)
 













I was competing in a track meet at a rival high school (Gahr), and stopped to watch the junior class girls practicing for their "Powder Puff" football game.  A friend and I hung around to talk to a group of these girls; one in particular caught my eye.  She was short and slim with long flowing black hair, I thought to myself "Wow, she's beautiful, I'd like to get to know her."  But, she was the quiet one; I don't think she said one word to me.  It was 1975 - little did I know ten years later she would become my wife.

Patsy and I started dating the following year at Christmas time and we've been together ever since.  It hasn't always been bliss; we virtually grew up together, experiencing all of life's ups and downs, not always agreeing on how to handle things and making more then our share of mistakes.  But our love for each other was strong enough to get us through the many break-ups and make-ups and today we look back and wonder how it was that we made it through those early years.

I attribute our success to the Lord, for without Him in our lives we would have folded the relationship many, many years ago.  I was a hotheaded homeboy and she an obstinate young girl from a family of twelve children.  She definitely had learned how to fight for what she wanted and I just loved to fight, period.  This made for an explosive combination and boy did we have our battles.

All that started to change when God got a hold of our lives.  We were at a turning point in our relationship in 1984, we had just come off a six-month separation, we had two children and Patsy was pregnant with our third.  She wanted me to leave again and I wanted to be the man in her life, but it was clear that it wasn't going to happen the way I was living.  Violence, partying with my friends and drugs were the things that made up my life at that time and I was ready for a change.  During that separation time I began to realize what was really important in life and it wasn't what I was doing, my heart was ripe and ready for a change, a change for the good.

"Behind every good man there's a woman, pushing him"  
no, wait, that's not how it goes.

"Behind ever good man there's a woman, rolling her eyes." 
no, no that's not how it goes either.

"Beside every good man is a good woman." 
yes, I think that's more like it.

Through a promotion at work I was put directly under the supervision of a man who was a committed Christian.  By his invitation Patsy and I joined he and his family at church.  It was Sunday October 14, 1984 and we both gave our lives over to Jesus, we got "saved" and that was the beginning of our restoration.

Life didn't all of the sudden become sweet and pleasant.  We both had so much baggage (more me than her); Things that took years to work through, but with the help of God we worked through each issue and we are on the other side now, the last 15 years or so have been the best of our lives together.

"House and wealth are an inheritance from fathers, but a prudent (wise) wife is from the Lord."  Proverbs 19:14 (NASB)

We were married on May 18, 1985, with our three children present, a year and a half later our fourth and final child was born.  We are now coming up on our 25th wedding anniversary in a couple of weeks, and I'm thinking once again of how very blessed I am.  Patsy truly is my best friend.  I know without a doubt that she loves me and that she always has my best interest at heart.  As we've grown up together and are growing older together we have become partners in life, we share most everything and have "become one flesh" as the scripture says in Genesis 2:24.

I don't know how it's possible that our love has grown stronger over the years, but it has.  I think of her throughout my day, wondering how she's doing.  I call her on the phone for a quick "hello, how are you doing today?"  and I feel better just because I spoke to her briefly, she tells me she feels the same way.  I really enjoy her company and miss her when we're apart.

"An excellent wife is the crown of her husband"  Proverbs 12:4a (NKJV)

One thing that I've noticed also, she knows how to love me.  What I mean by that is; she knows the things in our home, our family and our relationship that are important to me, and she puts a great deal of effort into doing those things.  She does them to make me happy, to bring me joy, she is a very giving person.  And because she does all this for me it makes me want to love her more and show her more and give her more.

"Who can find a virtuous wife? For her worth is far above rubies."  Proverbs 31:10

To some of you I probably sound like a sap, or a love struck schoolboy.  But that's all right, I have found joy and contentment in this life and I'm not ashamed to share with others where it comes from.  For me it comes from three main sources: first and foremost is my relationship with my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, next, my relationship with my wife Patsy and finally my relationship with my family.  If these areas are okay than I'm okay - everything else will take care of itself.

Patsy my love, Happy 25th Anniversary, I want you to know that I love and appreciate you.  I truly consider you a gift from the Lord, and I look forward to many more years together.  To anyone else who may read this, my prayer is that you find the same love, joy and contentment in your life that I've found in mine, and it all starts with a relationship with your creator.
  

"But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you."  Matthew 6:33

God Bless and Press On
Larry