Lessons In Goodness

     You may be familiar with the fruit of the Spirit. When we are rooted in Christ (the vine John 15) we will grow good fruit. What is this fruit we should see in believers?

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Galatians 5:22

     Each one of us is unique and flawed. It is amazing to me to comprehend how God places two people, each fallen humans, into the sacred bond of matrimony.  Some of us are logical and left-brained, while others are creative, distracted and well…messy! Others love to be around people, others crave quiet solitude. Some make decisions through thinking through the facts, others from sheer heart and emotion. Many of us view the world with our five senses, needing to see touch and smell. Still others use their intuition to guide them through life.

     Impossible, right?

     I have been shown mercy and kindness from our God, knowing he chose my husband just for me. We are alike in many ways, and night and day, black and white in others. Miraculously, he puts up with my distracted mind, my need for three-square meals and wanting to talk about each one immediately after finishing the previous one. Add to that my desire to talk and laugh continually, even when he is in the midst of something else. (We probably shouldn’t watch football together!)

     Through it all, I recognize his deep goodness. When I ponder our over-thirty year marriage I always recognize how blessed I am. He is a good man. Honest, trustworthy, loyal, strong, the ability to swing a hammer, fixes just about anything and deep patience in guiding his legally blind wife through our days.

     The definition of “goodness,” reads, the quality of being morally good or virtuous. With all of our teasing, our minor irritations, our times of busyness in just living life, I want the world to know about the great guy I married. He would do anything for our family. Even though he tries to be a bit hard-core sometimes, the girls and I know, if we just wait a day or two, or even a few minutes, he usually grants our every wish. (It did take me about five years to wear him down for those window boxes. Drilling holes in the house just about did him in.)

    The gift of marriage was written by God. It is a picture of His great love for us. When Jesus is in the center of it all, when He is the rock, we see each other through deep and sacrificial love. I thank God for the goodness of my husband today.

Lord,

There are no words deep enough to thank You for the blessings my husband brings to us each day. For the love he gives, for the great father and grandfather he is, for the lessons of strength he has shown, I thank You.

Amen