10 years {Part 1: the fruit}

10 years {part 1: the fruit}

That's how long Brett and I have been married!!

It feels like a milestone, well, because it is one!

Brett continues to love me despite me. 

In all my messed up moments

in my selfishness

In my silence

in my messy hair days ( a lot of them, 3652 to be exact) 

 in my mourning (a lot of that too)

He just loves me

life is complex, but his love for me is just simple

We didn't quite get the island vacation we hoped for, shocker, I know

I didn't get a new diamond for my ring

or a fresh clean shaved husband

in fact I got a ringless husband (say what?!?!? that is Part 2)

 What I did get though was his heart.....in the best way

He wrote to me, 9 cards, all leading up to the day of our anniversary. 

The first was titled "Love"

I opened it and thought, "oh how sweet, Brett wrote me a note" 

(not realizing this was leading up to or had anything to do with our anniversary)

The words that filled the page caught my breath and brought a flood of tears and emotion to my eyes.  You see words aren't necessarily my husbands strongest suite, so I knew it was from his heart.

And then, the next day I received a card that said "Joy"

and the next day "peace"

and the next "patience"

are you getting the idea? His cards were all titled and about The fruit of the Spirit which is: 

Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Gentleness, Faithfullness and Self Control.

In each card he wrote of how he saw these attributes in me..... in completely imperfect me. 

 And every time I read a new card I cried...because despite my sometimes awfulness he looked for the best.

You are all thinking "awww this is so sweet!"

And yes so very sweet it was, but it was so much more than that for me.  

You see ever since we have had children this is what I have prayed over them every single night, "that they would be filled with the fruit of the Spirit:  love, joy, peace patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness and self control."  They all know it by heart, even little Sarah blurts out " CONTROL!" at the end of the prayer.

So when my husband, on his own (no pinterest idea or money spent) wrote to me and about me, specific things I have prayed over my children it was the best gift I have ever received, 

and quite simply didn't deserve.

 love