Reason #996
Aaron and I went to the Pumpkin Trail tonight. This is our third time to go, so I suppose we can say it has become a tradition. It's nice to have those, you know. That was one of the things I looked most forward to when we started dating. I wanted to have those memories and traditions that come with time. To be able to look back and say, "Remember when...". It seemed like they were taking their sweet time coming to pass, but I think it is safe to say that the Pumpkin Trail is now an official tradition.
The first time we went to the Pumpkin Trail was a few months after we began dating. Aaron's birthday is in October, and I had planned out the perfect birthday surprise for him. We were going to Dallas to the State Fair for the weekend, and he had no idea. I had been able to keep it a secret, and it was shaping up to be the perfect weekend. We decided that we'd go to the Pumpkin Trail on Thursday night. I usually don't prefer getting out of the house on week nights, but since we had a full weekend planned, I agreed. As we were leaving the Pumpkin Trail, I thought about what an amazing weekend we had ahead of us. I thought about how things were falling into place as I had planned. We got in the car, began to drive away, and his phone rang.
A few weeks before Aaron and I met, he had befriended a group of guys at church. Aaron and I weren't going to the same church when we met, but these guys knew me from college. He had been telling me about them but never knew their last name. They all had generic first names, so none of them rang a bell with me. He went to dinner with them one night and came over to tell me that they all knew me. The moment he said that, my heart dropped into my stomach. They had finally put the pieces of the puzzle together, and Aaron had to be the one to awkwardly break the news to them. It didn't seem to bother him too much, but it certainly bothered me. I sat on my couch that night and cried as I poured my heart out and told him everything. He heard all of the details, relived the whole nightmare with me, and I just knew that he'd change his mind. I knew it would be a turning point for us, and this would be where it ended. But Aaron never changed his mind. He didn't decide to walk away, and I wondered if that would always be the case.
Well that evening, as we drove away from the Pumpkin Patch, one of those guys called Aaron to pass on a bit of "information" (better known as gossip). Of course, it was disguised under the cloak of caring, but really I think there was more anticipation and excitement to see what kind of reaction would be evoked at the revelation of this message. Little did this friend know, I was listening in on this conversation as well. I heard everything both of them were saying, and the truth is, it was a little awkward. Aaron felt it was important that I knew what was being said, and so he let his friend share away and then he said, "Well, I appreciate your concern. Actually, we're both very aware of the situation and it has been handled. I don't think it will ever be a problem, and if it is I'll take care of it."
I sat in the car and witnessed my honor being defended. This was a first for me. I had always hoped people would stand up for me if the opportunity presented itself, but I had never been in a situation where I had actually witnessed it. And, after coming out of a difficult season that left me with no self confidence what so ever, I fully believed I was a terrible person. Sometimes, I still do. Yet here was this man, this one who had every reason in the world to pass me up and move on to something better, and he was defending my honor. He was standing up for me, fighting for me, being faithful to me in one of the best ways he could, and I will never forget that night as I began to understand that Aaron really was in it for the long run.
"So an elder must be a man whose life is above reproach. He must be faithful to his wife. He must exercise self-control, live wisely, and have a good reputation." - 1 Timothy 3:2
I think girls miss the point sometimes. Maybe we focus too much on the wrong things. We want a man who will provide for us. A man who is handsome and smooth and looks like they walked off the pages of GQ. We want someone who makes us feel a certain way. Someone who romances us, writes us sappy love songs, and turns our life into a real-live romantic comedy. We want a man who treats us well, maybe even spoils us a bit. Someone who can fix things around the house, make us laugh, will listen to us, cheer us up when we're sad, and tell us we're beautiful when we don't think we are. But I rarely hear girls say, "I really want a man who will be faithful to me." Maybe it's because we assume that characteristic by the citing of vows, and rightly so. If you aren't going to be a faithful spouse, don't get married. But we think of faithfulness in the sole light of whether or not infidelity is commited when in reality, faithfulness is so much more.
You should desire a man who will be faithful. A husband who will honor your marriage bed and keep it sacred. A man who doesn't lust after other women but saves his eyes for you. But you should also desire a man who will fight for your honor. Who will protect your reputation and uphold your integrity. Who will be faithful to stand up for you should others try and tear you down. Who will be faithful to speak the truth about you when others might spew lies. A man who will be faithful to you by being honest. A man who will be faithful to you by always choosing you rather than pushing you to the back burner time and time again. Sure, it's comforting to know that your husband isn't sleeping with other women, but it's also comforting to know that when he speaks of you, it's in high regard. It's comforting to know that in his faithfulness he doesn't paint you in a bad light. That he doesn't sit around and pick you to pieces with his co-workers. His faithfulness keeps him from tarnishing your name or revealing your most intimate (and sometimes ugly) secrets. His faithfulness means he can be trusted with everything because his priority is you, and you don't have to worry about that changing.
I don't wonder about Aaron. I don't live in fear or think "what if..." because he has proven himself faithful in the big things and the little things. When I'm around and when I'm not. And there is no feeling better than that. No amount of money or looks could compare to a man's faithfulness. If he has your back, your best interest at heart, if he's willing to stand up for you and even die for you, you're one luck girl. I certainly know that I am.
#996 - For a husband who is faithful in all ways.
"Give honor to marriage, and remain faithful to one another in marriage. God will surely judge people who are immoral and those who commit adultery." - Hebrews 13:4
The first time we went to the Pumpkin Trail was a few months after we began dating. Aaron's birthday is in October, and I had planned out the perfect birthday surprise for him. We were going to Dallas to the State Fair for the weekend, and he had no idea. I had been able to keep it a secret, and it was shaping up to be the perfect weekend. We decided that we'd go to the Pumpkin Trail on Thursday night. I usually don't prefer getting out of the house on week nights, but since we had a full weekend planned, I agreed. As we were leaving the Pumpkin Trail, I thought about what an amazing weekend we had ahead of us. I thought about how things were falling into place as I had planned. We got in the car, began to drive away, and his phone rang.
A few weeks before Aaron and I met, he had befriended a group of guys at church. Aaron and I weren't going to the same church when we met, but these guys knew me from college. He had been telling me about them but never knew their last name. They all had generic first names, so none of them rang a bell with me. He went to dinner with them one night and came over to tell me that they all knew me. The moment he said that, my heart dropped into my stomach. They had finally put the pieces of the puzzle together, and Aaron had to be the one to awkwardly break the news to them. It didn't seem to bother him too much, but it certainly bothered me. I sat on my couch that night and cried as I poured my heart out and told him everything. He heard all of the details, relived the whole nightmare with me, and I just knew that he'd change his mind. I knew it would be a turning point for us, and this would be where it ended. But Aaron never changed his mind. He didn't decide to walk away, and I wondered if that would always be the case.
Well that evening, as we drove away from the Pumpkin Patch, one of those guys called Aaron to pass on a bit of "information" (better known as gossip). Of course, it was disguised under the cloak of caring, but really I think there was more anticipation and excitement to see what kind of reaction would be evoked at the revelation of this message. Little did this friend know, I was listening in on this conversation as well. I heard everything both of them were saying, and the truth is, it was a little awkward. Aaron felt it was important that I knew what was being said, and so he let his friend share away and then he said, "Well, I appreciate your concern. Actually, we're both very aware of the situation and it has been handled. I don't think it will ever be a problem, and if it is I'll take care of it."
I sat in the car and witnessed my honor being defended. This was a first for me. I had always hoped people would stand up for me if the opportunity presented itself, but I had never been in a situation where I had actually witnessed it. And, after coming out of a difficult season that left me with no self confidence what so ever, I fully believed I was a terrible person. Sometimes, I still do. Yet here was this man, this one who had every reason in the world to pass me up and move on to something better, and he was defending my honor. He was standing up for me, fighting for me, being faithful to me in one of the best ways he could, and I will never forget that night as I began to understand that Aaron really was in it for the long run.
"So an elder must be a man whose life is above reproach. He must be faithful to his wife. He must exercise self-control, live wisely, and have a good reputation." - 1 Timothy 3:2
I think girls miss the point sometimes. Maybe we focus too much on the wrong things. We want a man who will provide for us. A man who is handsome and smooth and looks like they walked off the pages of GQ. We want someone who makes us feel a certain way. Someone who romances us, writes us sappy love songs, and turns our life into a real-live romantic comedy. We want a man who treats us well, maybe even spoils us a bit. Someone who can fix things around the house, make us laugh, will listen to us, cheer us up when we're sad, and tell us we're beautiful when we don't think we are. But I rarely hear girls say, "I really want a man who will be faithful to me." Maybe it's because we assume that characteristic by the citing of vows, and rightly so. If you aren't going to be a faithful spouse, don't get married. But we think of faithfulness in the sole light of whether or not infidelity is commited when in reality, faithfulness is so much more.
You should desire a man who will be faithful. A husband who will honor your marriage bed and keep it sacred. A man who doesn't lust after other women but saves his eyes for you. But you should also desire a man who will fight for your honor. Who will protect your reputation and uphold your integrity. Who will be faithful to stand up for you should others try and tear you down. Who will be faithful to speak the truth about you when others might spew lies. A man who will be faithful to you by being honest. A man who will be faithful to you by always choosing you rather than pushing you to the back burner time and time again. Sure, it's comforting to know that your husband isn't sleeping with other women, but it's also comforting to know that when he speaks of you, it's in high regard. It's comforting to know that in his faithfulness he doesn't paint you in a bad light. That he doesn't sit around and pick you to pieces with his co-workers. His faithfulness keeps him from tarnishing your name or revealing your most intimate (and sometimes ugly) secrets. His faithfulness means he can be trusted with everything because his priority is you, and you don't have to worry about that changing.
I don't wonder about Aaron. I don't live in fear or think "what if..." because he has proven himself faithful in the big things and the little things. When I'm around and when I'm not. And there is no feeling better than that. No amount of money or looks could compare to a man's faithfulness. If he has your back, your best interest at heart, if he's willing to stand up for you and even die for you, you're one luck girl. I certainly know that I am.
#996 - For a husband who is faithful in all ways.
"Give honor to marriage, and remain faithful to one another in marriage. God will surely judge people who are immoral and those who commit adultery." - Hebrews 13:4