Five Ways My Hubby is Biblically Masculine

Yesterday I had good intentions of writing a tribute to Paul in honor of his 45th birthday. I wrote one for his 38th, and I could easily repeat all that and add many more things I've come to appreciate about him since then.

But, since he is a an organized listmaker, and would prefer fewer, not more, words on a "birthday card," I will limit myself to just five things to say about him.

FIVE WAYS MY HUSBAND IS BIBLICALLY MASCULINE

1.He is a servant leader. He knows his Shepherd's voice and watches the example of Jesus. He prays for his "flock" (his family, his care group, his fellow employees).He practices serving, which is rarely--if ever--convenient to him. His service has included, but is not limited to:
-playing guitar on Sunday mornings even with bruised fingers
and gout in his toe.
-fixing my parents' dishwasher when a pipe burst on Thanksgiving
-changing my clothes, washing my hair and rolling me from side to side
in bed for five weeks while I was recovering from Joel's birth
- picking up my favorite magazines at the library even though they're
clearly very feminine
-dropping off said magazines on time to prevent late fees on my card

2. He is committed to sexual purity. There is little that stirs real anger in him,
but crimes or even hints of impropriety against women and children brings it out.
He won't rent movies where the plot has obvious sexual content, whether the content is adultery, fornication, homosexual practice, or any other thing for which Jesus died.
He quickly switches the channel whenever scantily-clad women appear, whether in commercials, sitcoms, movies, sportscasts or the like. This applies to Superbowl Sunday during half-time when other men find it socially acceptable to watch half-naked cheerleaders and munch potato chips at the same time.
He draws the line of serving at arranging for babysitters' and their transportation. At first it bothered me that I was always the one calling teenage girls when our kids were little. I was always driving them back and forth from their homes. One day Paul explained that it wasn't lack of romance or thoughtfulness on his part (which I what I was falsely accusing him of) but a desire to never put himself or anyone else in a situation that could harm anyone else's reputation. I really appreciate that, because being driving home by a client's husband when I was a teen was very uncomfortable for me. For this reason, we have a strict rule that
Sarah is only transported by me, her dad, or the mom of the kids she's babysitting. No matter the character of the client.

3. He takes commitment seriously. Faithful and Steadfast are probably Paul's biblical names. He's been faithful to his same job for 22 years, to me for 20, to our family for over 18, and to every church we've been in until God called him out of it. If he commits to being there at 5:30 a.m, he'll be there, even if he's thrown up with a migraine four hours earlier. ANd even if he's the only to show up to the meeting. (Unless the illness is contagious, Paul will override his comfort for the commitment he's made. On rare occasions he has overslept and feels horrible about it.) If he says he'll coach tee-ball for a whole season, he coaches it for a whole season, even when it means not eating dinner and showing clueless kindergartens where first base is.


4. He has grown in romantic expression. I can't explain to him why flowers mean so much to me. Whether he's gone out of his way to pick up inexpensive roses or had them delivered to me when my world seemed to consist of only Legos, spanking, and snotty noses, I melt inside. His humorous take on roses is, "They're like romance: Dead after three days and you're left with the thorns." My take on roses is: for those three days they give such pleasure and keep on saying "love" while he's absent. He has finally stopped asking me how much I spent on flowers for the garden; he just knows I'm happier when the yard is full of color (especially purple) and fragrance. He knows I want stargazer lilies on my casket when I die. He tells me not to talk about that, but I want him to not have to worry about, "What flowers would Zo choose?" Stargazer lilies and yellow roses. He's got that down. (The first bouquet he ever gave me were yellow roses. The conservative in him held out on giving red roses; too much overture in case his love was requited! The second bouquet was red. I was smitten with the yellow, and said, "I Will" with the red.)

5. He provides well for us. The Bible says, "A man's gifts make room for him." Paul's spiritul gift of wisdom combined with his natural affinity for business and tools have made room for him time and again over the years. Whether making $17,000 a year and investing in a $44,000 duplex (circa 1987) or taking a supervisory position when company morale is at all-time low (circa 2006), Paul has seen God's blessings abound. His children, in-laws, brothers, and nephews, and wife have sought his counsel many times.

Well, I could go on and on, but this list of five will have to be where I'll cut this off for the sake of my "less-is-best" hubby.

I love you, Sweetie, and think you are the best man in the world. How I ever got matched with you for life is still a mystery of the highest order. You have been to me "Jesus with skin on" time after time. Happy Birthday. Hope you have a wonderful year!