Today my beloved wife celebrates her birthday.
Now today is not about looking at my marriage and how well that’s gone so far. It’s not the day also to be hailing the qualities of my beloved as a mother – there are plenty of opportunities to do that over the days, weeks and months that form the year. No, days like this are just to reflect and give God thanks for the attributes that makes Authrine such a remarkable woman.
Something that I find ever so endearing about her is her complete lack of awareness of how much she is loved and how much people honour, respect, appreciate and admire her. Despite those dearest to her informing her from time to time, she seemingly has no ability to absorb this, and perpetually lives to be of service to others. Her selflessness in that sense leads her to make incredible sacrifices often without thanks or recognition. Well, at least without recognition from the recipients of her efforts. I don’t tend to be slow in helping her acknowledge this, but even then, it’s not something she’ll complain about, or something that slows her down.
Her remarkable loyalty to those she loves has been a hallmark of her character that I’ve highly admired from the first time I met her. You can talk about sticking with people through thick and thin and she actually know what it’s like to stick with people who are ostracised and alienated. She knows what it is to stick with others who have been accused of some ‘bad stuff’ and sometimes the people accused will actually be guilty of that and worse, but because of the trust, love and loyalty she has, she won’t budge from the friendship.
That has meant being dragged through some hurtful experiences that would stop some people from being so trusting again. She, by the grace of God, has a character that delights in trusting and giving herself over to others, so that whatever setbacks take place, she is still eager and hungering for real and deep relationship, making her not just a trustworthy but a deeply loving person.
She does not shirk from her responsibilities when she recognises them, her sense of obligation is immense and she is fussy to do the best that she can in whatever situation she is in.
I’m not putting together a character reference for my wife – God knows there are many who would put together a far better and more eloquent one than I. Authrine isn’t perfect as she well knows, but a day like today isn’t to wallow in the flaws. A day like today is to publicly enjoy the brilliance that is in the person.
What I enjoy about days like today is celebrating the woman that is Authrine Dryden. I enjoy smirking at each of her three daughters and seeing how amazingly loved they are from their mother. I enjoy giving God thanks for her and chuckling to myself that of all the people in the whole world God would bless me to have a friend like her. I would be delighted if God would grant her more years to be an ever blossoming witness of His goodness, but even if that’s not His will, I know I can be ever so grateful for a life lived so fully and so much for others.
Thanks Father for Authrine Dryden.
For His Name’s Sake
Shalom
dmcd
Life With CD 