December 15, 2010
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~Darcy, Knightly, Edward, and Brad~
I admit that I am the world’s biggest sucker for a great romance.
I swoon. (that word is way past it’s prime but I can’t resist typing it)
Any way you slice it, I’m GOING to be a fan.
Darcy, cravat and all…….
Mr. Knightly. Completely devoted to Emma………*sigh*
Edward absolutely cannot function without knowing Bella is safe.
He exists for no other reason than to love her……
The list is long and the stories are oddly familiar.
He wants her. Needs her, even. The wanting part is better than the needing because there’s nothing you have to do to be wanted except to breathe.
Those movies leave you firmly believing that several years and children later, a few pounds heavier, and after every detail of who they are is no longer a mystery, the man will still want his girl. Really want her.
If I ask Brad Wall to live up to the ridiculousness of a vampire madly in love with his soul mate or werewolves imprinting
, bless his heart.
I mean, c’mon, man. Seriously. (yes, I sometimes watch ESPN.)
If I expect to only ever get an, “As you wish” response from this man I married, I am in deep trouble.
Those movies conveniently omit financial stress, selfishness, sleepless nights, a messy house, extreme exhaustion, a broken ice maker, kids with rotten attitudes, long days at the office, and a myriad of other realities.
WHO would pay to see that movie?!
Quite a while ago, I came to my firm belief that the single most attractive trait in a man is none other than the quality of commitment. Maybe it was when, before Brad was leaving for six months, went out in our backyard at midnight to chop down a tree stump that I was worried about the kids falling over. In nothing more than his shorts and hiking boots, no less. I hung out the window, loudly whispering to him, “Stop that! You don’t have to chop down that tree right now! It’ll be fine!”
My heart was screaming, he loves me and cares about these senseless details.
I almost swooned. -sorry. there’s that word again.
More recently, after having the luxury of spending a week in the woods, hunting deer with one of his best friends, he came home rested. Renewed.
As only a guy would know, he told me how God had spoken to him on the deer stand.
Weird. I know.
It must be a guy thing.
(The only thing I would hear on a deer stand would be my teeth chattering or a warm bed calling my name. )
Anyway, in our kitchen, after being home a day or so, he hugged me and very simply said,
“Honey, I want you to know I’ve prayed all these years that God would give me eyes only for you and I’m so thankful for you.” he then proceeded to tell me how cute he thinks I am……. TMI.
anyway….
It is a moment I will never forget and one almost to intimate to share but I find myself compelled to.
And I think this is the reason:
I want to challenge you to honor those qualities in your husband that matter.
Faithful is something a man can be.
A vampire or mythical millionaire in a top hat? He’s not going to measure up.
If you are married to a man who is committed to you, give him a big hug tonight.
Whether he pumps your gas, bathes your kids, drives them to school, says he’s sorry, cleans a bathroom, takes you to dinner, tells you you’re cute, or goes to work every day, tell him thanks.
~stacey
Comments (12)
Stacey,
You inspire me so much. Thank you for being so raw and sharing so honestly!
Very sweet post. Your children are BEAUTIFUL- love your header!
nope! God wouldn’t speak to me in a deer stand either!
or if He did, He’d need to shout above the chattering teeth!!!
what a sweet moment that you enjoyed with Brad. those are precious words that he said to you. the kind that you take with you throughout each day, because commitment and someone wanting to want YOU is a gift beyond measure.
love your new header!
and miss ya too.
such a sweet post. Yeah, those deer stands….I think they’re so cold there’s no way to go to sleep while your praying or God’s talking to you
I can understand Brad coming home from a hunting trip refreshed (maybe not rested, but refreshed). I was able to do the same thing on a pheasant hunting trip this last weekend. I wish Brad could have been there, I had a really good time getting to know him better on the pheasant hunting trip we took together with Eastside. I came home from my pheasant hunting trip having definetly seen and heard from God while viewing His impressive creatures and creation. However, I can’t say I was “rested” as I do not sleep well when Dana is not sleeping beside. She “makes” me want to wake up next to her EVERY morning.
To counter your point about saying “thank you” to your husband for being commited. It is easy to remain commited to, and “have eyes only for” a God fearing woman who can look past the, “financial stress, selfishness, sleepless nights, a messy house, extreme exhaustion, a broken ice maker, kids with rotten attitudes, long days at the office, and a myriad of other realities” and still have dinner on the table for the entire family, keep up with everyone’s laundry, balance the checkbook and juggle the other “myriad of realities” that I am either too tired to do or simply just don’t “want” to do at that moment.
So to all the wives who “make” “your man” want to lie down with you every night, wake up next to you every morning and “make” him care about the “senseless details”, we as your husbands should make the time to say thank you to you and give you a hug every day to ensure you know you all are loved and appreciated.
Thanks for sharing, I need to go hug Dana now!
Brad is making feel and look bad! We sure do miss seeing you and yours around Wichita. However, we are glad you are able to be close to family, especially this time of year. Have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy 2011.
The Schrocks
Beautiful reminder! These precious husbands who stand right there with us, through thick and thin, rarely get the thanks they deserve!
What a great post! I agree with you so much, I love all those movies too, but yeah, hollywood just doesn’t portray real life. And my man is so much more to me than I could ever have imagined. Thank you for reminding me to be thankful for those everyday things.
@rdsschrock -
Russ! You just outdid me!
Your comment is better than my post. Thank you……and yes, you have an amazing wife.
Brad would love nothing more than to go on a pheasant hunt with you. Maybe it’ll work out one of these days.
Merry Christmas!
SO true about the romance we see in movies/read in books.
it somehow sets us up for larger than life!
because, in the end, it all works out….in the movies, that is.
in real life, it doesn’t always work that way.
Thankyou for the good reminder to be thankful for the small things.
wow. such a good reminder to me right now!!
shayne and i were just talking last night about how hard marriage can be..
and yes, at the end of the day, as unromantic as it may sound.. it’s a commitment!!
and you’re right – how blessed we are to have men that WANT a good marriage w/ us.
i know there are those women, and i know some personally, who have real losers as husbands…
and that’s tough when it’s one sided on trying to make a relationship work.
thanks for sharing this. i like your honesty.
new header is fun!! i like the bright colors.
your kids are beautiful & baby girl is getting big
I don’t know if I’ve ever posted on your blog, and we really only know each other through my parents, but I bookmarked your blog and I love it! Isn’t God good to give us amazing men in such a corrupt world?
Thank you for your pictures and your openness with life. You are an inspiration.