It is Good.

And so, we have reached Bekah's birthday once again!  Well, the actual day is tomorrow, but I don't want to interrupt the Saturday Six, so we are going to celebrate today.  Tomorrow is also National Dog Mom Day!  It's always the second Saturday in May and it just happened to align with her birthday this year.                                                            My two favorite girls 💖!  

This is the day in which I, Ryan, get to write and celebrate with all of you for Bekah's birthday.  As I sit here on this (again) rainy spring morning, I can't help but smile when I think about how much better my life is and all of yours (I'll speak for all you readers too!) because of Bekah.  This year marks ten years that we have been together!  I don't know where the time has gone, and yet it still seems like yesterday when we were on the beach committing our lives to each other and to God.  

Before getting married, and all along the way. we have prayed continually for God to use us however He saw fit.  It hasn't always looked like we thought, but it has been good.  It hasn't always been comfortable, but it has been good.  It hasn't always been easy, but it has been good.  God is good.  He has grown us in ways we never could have imagined.  He has strengthened us personally and as a couple.  He has led us through some extremely difficult situations.  And you know what?  It has been an adventure, and it has been good!  And as we look ahead not knowing what all is next, all we have to do is look at the past.  God has been faithful in every way, just like His Word says, and we are confident that will continue into our future. 

The hardest and greatest time of our life has been in these past few years.  We finally got to live out a dream we had for years, and that was to work together.  The work was not what we expected, and again it was good.  I think I learned as much about Bekah in these past few years as I did the rest of our marriage combined!  You learn a lot about someone when you work side by side with them all day every day.  And for us it was literally ALL DAY!  You know what I found out?  She is even more amazing than I even knew.  She has this fire down inside of her that I didn't know existed.  And. It. Is. Incredible!  So many things about WillowBridge are better because of her.  She wrote great material for the ministry.  She established lifelong relationships with the young women there that seemed impossible.  She stood up for what she believed even if she was the only one standing.  She had unbelievable compassion for our tenants.  She didn't back down from conflict (WHAT!).  She fiercely advocated for our tenants when they couldn't or didn't know how to.  She showed unconditional love to people who moments before had expressed extreme anger or hate towards her.  She led in ways I had never seen her do.  She encouraged and prayed with our tenants in ways that they had never experienced.  She showed passion for a ministry that we had never done, and she ran with it.  She was Jesus to so many, including me.  And now I know.  I know that she is capable of anything.  I always knew she was, but it has been confirmed right in front of me.

Bekah, I'm so proud to be your husband.  I'm so unbelievably grateful to do life with you side by side.  You're always so quick to make me laugh, encourage me on hard days, keep me on the edge of my seat with your writing, and have so many Bekah moments in life that just make me shake my head and grin.  Your wit, humor, and sarcasm are like nobody I've ever met, and I get to enjoy it every day.  Your big, beautiful smile makes me melt and your love for me is greater than any woman has had for any man ever (at least that is what you tell me, so I believe it to be true!).  I know you will roll your eyes at this, but you are also very wise and never back down from giving me great advice even when it's not what I want to hear.  That is true love.  Most of all, your love, dedication and drive to live for and follow our Lord obediently draws me to love you even more and to be a better man.  You are not an accident.  The Lord has big plans for your life and ours together.  You have so many gifts this world needs, many that you haven't even discovered yet.  You have purpose.  You are needed.  You are brave.  You are amazingly creative.  You are loved.  You are good. 

Today, as we all celebrate you on the day of your birth heard around the world, know that it was good!  

Love you more,
-Ryan