Angie

Last night I went whitewater kayaking with my buddy, Curt. I’ve done whitewater before in my rec boat, but last night wasn’t a great idea. It’s been raining constantly for a few days and the water was moving fast. I sunk my boat once but filled it with water several times. Whew. It truly was an adventure. 

But as I sit and type today, I’m not really thinking about my trip. I’m thinking about the person that allows me to take trips like this. I’m thinking about my best friend, Angie, who supports me, laughs at my jokes and enjoys my adventures like last night. As I drove home in my soggy clothes and achy body, I reflected on how blessed I am to have a wife like her. 

I thought about this photo of her from three years ago. It’s one of my favorites. It captures the beauty, joy and humility that she evokes in every interaction I have with her. Her life is full of sacrifices and trials, but she continues to love her Maker, her husband and her children with grace. She makes me a better person every day without fail. I wouldn’t be able to paddle boats or pedal bikes without her support. But more importantly, I couldn’t fulfill my role as a dad or pastor without her. Her strength and grace hold me up when I stumble and her smile and beauty make me laugh when I’m down.

As I sat, exhausted in our living room late last night, telling her of my bumbling and flailing in the water, I felt bursts of energy as I saw her laugh and smile back at me. I can’t help but be energized in her presence. I’ve never known another person to do that for me. It is rare that a guy with three kids and one on the way could fill a blog like this with pictures and words from his adventures. But it has less to do with me and more to do with a great wife. Many of my readers are people I’ve never met. So it’s right to direct the attention where it’s due, at times. And that’s the purpose of today’s post.

As I drove home, I thought about the sacrifices Angie makes for me and I pray that I offer the same to her. She truly is amazing. If you ever see this beautiful face out and about, chances are she’ll have a kid on her hip and wrangling some others. But you should stop her, give her a pat on the back and reflect on how great she is. She’s an amazing woman and I’m humbled that she’s chosen me.

I love you, Ang.

Get out there.