abandoned to Christ.

My darling husband is more than my Valentine. He is the second greatest gift to me from God; Jesus being the first and greatest of all.

Just like many little girls, I used to dream about what my future husband would look like. Not just on the outside, but more importantly, on the inside. I would dream that my God would give me a husband who loved me well, more than he loved anyone. I dreamed he would work hard for our family and be the perfect father to our children. I dreamed he'd take me wherever I wanted to go and do whatever I desired. I dreamed that his every waking moments thoughts would be about me. I dreamed my perfect husband, would be more committed to me than he was to anyone or anything else. I just wanted someone all to myself, for myself. To me, that was the most perfect husband. Oh, and of course, he needed to be handsome beyond belief. That was understood.

Well, one day I grew up. And found that most men were just as self-centered as I was and their dream wife was nearly just the same as my dream husband. Of course, this wasn't going to work since part of my dream had nothing to do with giving to another person the way I expected to be given to. Not only that, but the men I did meet that was near the description I had dreamed were a bit more obsessed with me than I realized I'd ever be comfortable with.

After years of searching for my dream husband, I gave up after realizing that he doesn't exist...at least not my version.

At age 20, I prayed, repented and asked God to bring me the husband He made, perfectly fitted for me, just as God pleased and not as I pleased. I was also open to staying single for the rest of my life, if that's what was most pleasing to the Lord. I knew He would make me able to do anything He chose for me. During this time, I enjoyed the greatest freedom I'd ever experienced in my life and grew more and more in love with my awesome Savior, Jesus Christ my Lord!

A year later, with great love, mercy and abounding grace, God moved my husband right next door to me. I guess so I wouldn't miss him. And I didn't.

It was more than love at first sight. It was forever at first sight. Like never before, from deep within, I knew got put in me, a great and abiding love for this man that I had never known. There was a sense of newness and familiarity all at the same time. I'm not sure how these coexist, but it did for both of us and we knew we were both the ones we'd been praying for.

Did my husband fit my "dream"? Thanks be to God, NO! He was more than I ever knew I could even dream of. He's beyond handsome, inside and out! And I'm not his first or one and only love. I am his second, because Jesus is his first. His ever waking moment is on Christ and then on me. He's not the perfect father and never claims to be, rather he faithfully points our sons to the only one who is, the LORD God Almighty. He's not obsessed with me, nor fulfills my every desire, for some of my desires are wicked. Instead he prays for me, loves me like Christ loves the church, protecting me, sacrificing his desires for mine, considers me the weaker vessel and washes me daily with the word of God. My darling husband's only obsession is Christ Jesus our Lord. And his greatest desire is not to fulfill all mine, but to please Jesus with every breath he has.

I didn't know I could ever have a husband like this. I am sure I don't deserve him, but am so grateful to God that His gifts of grace aren't given based on me, but they are based on His Son, therefore, He gives me all things in greater abundance than I will ever deserve.

These are all the reasons why my darling husband is more than my Valentine. He's God's second most greatest gift to me and my second greatest love. I pray I will forever demonstrate to God my deepest gratitude my second love.

Possessing a meek and quiet spirit is often misunderstood as someone who is either "shy" or someone who does nothing while witnessing injustice and evil befall others.

This is not what our LORD God means when He says we ought to have meek and quiet spirits. For we know that our Lord Jesus was meek in every way, yet He whipped the money changers and turned over their tables when they were turning God's house of prayer into a den of robbers (John 2:14-16, Mark 11:15-19). Why did Jesus do this? Because He was purifying God's temple and He did it twice: once in the beginning of His earthly ministry during Passover, and the second time, right before His crucifixion.

"Open your mouth for the mute, for the rights of all who are destitute. Open your mouth, judge righteously, defend the rights of the poor and needy."

~Proverbs 31:8-9

Who are the "poor and needy"? We know who the physically poor and needy are because we can see them, but we can't often see who the spiritually poor and needy are; and therefore, we often neglect them. Regardless of how well unbelievers may appear to be doing (lucrative job, nice home and family life, lots of friends, etc.), in God's sight, they are the poorest and most needy because they're destined for Hell. Who else are the poor and needy? Babes (not necessarily in age) in Christ who need consistent feeding of pure, spiritual milk. Or even "mature" Christians who've been neglecting daily feeding off of God's Word.

Our Lord Jesus regularly spoke against the Pharisees, even calling them "a brood of vipers" (Matt 23:33), "children of devil" (John 8:44) and the like. By our worldly, fallible and darkened understanding, none of these acts of Christ appear to be meek or quiet. But they were, by God's holy, perfect and righteous standards. Jesus boldly stood against those who maligned the Word of God with their hypocrisy, shed light on their dark deeds, and testified against their God-displeasing lives.

"Therefore, O King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision, but declared first to those in Damascus, then in Jerusalem and throughout all the region of Judea, and also to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, performing deeds in keeping with their repentance. For this reason the Jews seized me in the temple and tried to kill me.

~ Acts 26:19-21

God commands all His children to stand boldly and proclaim His message. So how does one have a "meek and quiet spirit" while doing this? We would be wise to follow the example of the Apostle Paul and examine his behavior before King Agrippa, Bernice and Festus in Acts 26. Paul didn't speak out of personal anger, offense or frustration. He boldly spoke and clearly proclaimed the Gospel of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, without fear or hatred of men. The foundation in which Paul spoke was Christ—his great love for God, and those Christ came to save.

Paul was not motivated by any personal conviction or self-vindicating reasons. He was motivated only by God's Holy Spirit and the purpose in which the Lord Jesus sent him.

Having a meek and quiet spirit isn't so much toward men, but toward God (Ecc 5:1-3). This is what God means when He says we ought to be this way. When we are humble before the Lord, we are meek and we are quiet as we patiently and eagerly wait to listen to His voice (not our own or the opinions of others). Our greatest desire is to be guided and directed in the way of God's righteousness so that we may not be deceived by our false piety.

"Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make straight your paths. Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD, and turn away from evil. It will be healing to your flesh and refreshment to your bones."

~Proverbs 3:5-8

If we sit idly by while we witness all kinds (physical or spiritual) evil and injustice befall those who are either weaker physically or spiritually than us; if we neither say nor do anything to help them because their trouble does not directly affect our lives, concluding "it's none of my business", according to our Father God, we are sinning against Him and grieving His Spirit in which Christ suffered and died to give us.