For Mother’s Day – a tribute to my wife!

A wife of noble character who can find?
She is worth far more than rubies. Prov. 31:10 NIV

My wife, Erica, the mother of our two children, Cody age 11 and Alissa age 9, is a rare and wonderful creation. She chose to marry me and begin our adventure together rather than pursue a career or attend college even though she graduated 2nd in her class from a private school and had a grade point average over 4.0. She has, faithfully, followed after the heart of the Father in times of plenty and times of want. Her love for me has never wavered; her devotion never waned as we walked through the deserts or rejoiced on the mountains.

Erica has persevered in loving our children and remained steadfast in her commit to teach them by home schooling. She has laid down her life for them and for me. Even when all others seemed to abandon us, she remained faithful to the call of God placed on our lives. In times of despair and loneliness, we clung to each other and prayed, seeking the face and heart of God.

I am eternally grateful to the Father for choosing her for me and me for her. I have the blessing and privilege of being married to my best friend.

There are those who do not believe that God has chosen a specific “help meet” for each of us. To those I present this challenge. Do you not believe that the Father has established all your days before any one of them existed? Can you not recognize that each of us was created with specific talents, giftings and abilities from in our mother’s womb for a specific calling? Are you unaware that even your physical makeup, your skeletal structure was determined by God? Read Psalm 139.

You might say that it was just chance DNA. Then you would be a fool to believe in chance. I choose to believe in divine intervention. It is called procreation or perhaps it should more appropriately be named “co-creation” in that we are participating with God in the creation of a unique, living, eternal being.

From before the foundations of the earth, God, our Father, chose for Erica and me to walk this journey together.

The LORD God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him." Gen 2:18 NIV

Then the LORD God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man.
The man said,
"This is now bone of my bones
and flesh of my flesh;
she shall be called 'woman,'
for she was taken out of man."
For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh. The man and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame.
Gen 2:22-25 NIV

Do not think it chance or “dumb luck” to choose a person with whom you shall be one flesh, a union symbolizing, typifying the union between Christ and His church.

"For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh." This is a profound mystery-but I am talking about Christ and the church. Eph 5:31-32 NIV

Erica was and is the will of God for me and for my children now, even after almost 24 years, and until we finish our course. For that, I thank God daily!