Everywhere we turn, we hear of the evil in this world. And we don’t have to open our eyes wide to see it at play in our own lives. Seemingly as close as the tips of our fingers, we can find dishonesty, war, poverty, manipulation, and unthinkable heartbreak. It can sometimes seem as if, as a race, we are irredeemable.
But then if we are very lucky, we might reach out a hand in the darkness and find the touch of another. Someone who has resisted the lure of bitterness. Someone whose heart refuses to be hardened despite the deepest of betrayals. Someone who at times appears to be a lone blossom sprouting from the rubble and the ruin.
Hearts like these are rare and they are vulnerable. Lacking in malice themselves, they sometimes seem ill prepared to deal with that which they find in others. They can seem to sway in the wind, searching for a place to land and call home.
But then they do land, and they blossom, and therein, you can find their true strength. A will of steal when it comes to defending those they love. A heart that gives and time that is given. An unadulterated spirit that lends itself unquestioningly to those who need it.
And today especially, I close my eyes in silent prayer and thank God for not only sending such a person into my life, but for sending him to be my spouse and lifelong partner. God has blessed me and has blessed our children through you and because of you. You shelter us from the storms. And while that leaves you as the sole buttress against the harsh winds, please trust that as we stand behind your protection, our hearts are filled with love and gratitude.
I told you ten years ago that you are one of the true great innocents in this world, and a decade later my opinion has not been changed.
“A window breaks, down a long, dark street
And a siren wails in the night
But I’m alright, ’cause I have you here with me
And I can almost see, through the dark there is light”
– “Feels Like Home”