In between my travels for work, I was able to spend this weekend at home. It was SO good to be home… my hat’s off to those couples who constantly live in a state of distance. It’s icky. Anywho, Cole’s parents came down to stay for a few nights on the coast (which is only an hour away from us), and they brought a wonderful married couple with whom they have been friends for over 25 years. We had a delightful time taking in the wonders of the beach and just spending some time together; but what struck me most profoundly about the weekend was something entirely different. It was this couple that my in-laws brought with them.
Cole’s parents picked them up in Lacey, WA, and drove them down. Why? Because the husband is legally blind and his wife has moderate cerebral palsy. And yet, this couple has challenged and encouraged me so much in the brief times that I have spent with them. They complement each other perfectly. She is his eyes, he is her mouth. They selflessly depend on each other for every aspect of life: cooking, cleaning, even crossing the street. And they both have an incredibly strong faith.
So this got me to thinking about my own marriage… now, I knew when I married Cole that he complemented me in many ways. He is wise when I lack wisdom; he sees things to which I am blind; he is incredibly knowledgeable in areas in which I am ignorant; he is strong where I am weak; he is compassionate when I am callous; he is loving even when I am not lovely; he points me to Christ when my sinful flesh vies for my attention; he is the voice of reason to my scatterbrained thoughts. To borrow the cliché Jerry McGuire colloquialism, “He completes me.” He shows me Jesus every day and loves me beyond what I deserve. This man selflessly lays down his life for me every day. And yet, after watching this couple interact this weekend, I could not help but to wonder how selfless MY love is? Granted, he’s an amazing man, how could I help but to love him? But I think there’s more to it than that… my in-laws’ friends selflessly give of themselves knowing how much they rely on each other. How often is my love motivated by something other than complete selflessness? I wish I loved people like Jesus did/does. Unconditionally, expecting nothing in return… I am thankful for people like that couple & my husband to show me a glimpse of what that kind of love looks like.
Oh, and my husband took me for a romantic walk on the beach. J
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