My Better Half

I'm gonna have a tough time not getting a little misty-eyed and choked up as a type this. I am a typical guy, and do not do a very good job of verbally communicating my love and appreciation for my amazing wife, Amy.

But, even if I cannot speak words, I can certainly type them. And, that is what I am doing right now.

Today - May 27 - is a special day. It is Amy's birthday. In our family, birthdays are a big deal. They are truly days to celebrate with family and friends. And, I am fortunate that my very best friend is also my closest family member: Amy.

I wish I had a dollar for every time I heard someone say a kind word about Amy. I'm really not sure Amy knows how well-thought of she is by others. She has such a genuine humility that I just don't think she ever realizes how much of a positive impact she makes in the lives of other people. But she does.

Amy is one of the most selfless people I know. She gives with no expectation of anything in return. In fact, if she gives you something (money, time, gift, buys your lunch, whatever) - she DOESN'T want anything in return. If you try to pay her back, you'll find out how stubborn she can be (in a good way).

She always goes the extra mile. I tease her from time to time because it's just not within her to do the minimum - in anything. When she does something, she goes all-out. For example, in our couples small group that we host, each couple is always assigned a food item to bring and share with the group. Usually, two couples are responsible for bringing a dessert item. When we gathered one evening, someone asked the person who makes the food assignments why only one couple was assigned dessert. Her response, "Well, I knew Amy would make a dessert even though she wasn't assigned one, so I just had one other couple bring dessert." That's just a small example of her going the extra mile.

Amy is so considerate of others. And, I will admit that many times I am selfish and I get flustered because she spends so much of her time putting others ahead of herself. She truly sees the value in serving others and loving them with no strings. She gets that from her MawMaw Lewis and her dad. All of them will completely inconvenience themselves to brighten your day or lighten your load. It is perhaps the most admirable quality they possess.

And, these are but a few of the multitude of reasons I have for choosing to love and spend my life with Amy. I could name many other things that attract me to her: her intelligence, her "fake" laugh that sounds like Betty Rubble, her passion for the Georgia Bulldogs, how amazing of a mom she is to our two boys, and how she likes "guy" movies much more than "girly" movies.

But, what I love most about Amy is that she loves God as much as I do. She loves to worship Him through music, she trusts Him at all times, and she is a great witness for Him to others. It's hard not to love a woman who puts God first.

Happy Birthday, Amy. I love you more than words.