A “letter” I wrote for my wife two years before we first met.
July 13, 2008
People Will Tell of our Story.
Because I have you in mind, I choose to settle for nothing less than the person that you are. And because I have you in mind, I choose to not be anything less than the person that you deserve. I choose to settle for nothing less than what God has in mind.
I look forward to stressing over a proposal. I look forward to hearing you say “yes” and “I do.” I look forward to tucking you in bed at night. I look forward to serving breakfast for you in the morning. I look forward to both of us washing the dishes. I look forward to both of us leaving them at the table. I look forward to loving you, even when I love you now.
Yes, I love you now. I choose to, because I know I can by doing all this with you in mind.
I hope you’re as crazy about me as I am about you; crazy that I write this without knowledge of who you are, your name, how you look like, or how we’ll even meet—yet, at least. Maybe I’ve seen you already; maybe I haven’t. One thing’s for sure though, all this is worth doing because of you.
One day I’ll see your face, know your name, know you, and know you’re the one God’s been getting me all excited about. You’re the one to kiss at the altar, hoping you saved your first for me as well.
I hope you’re praying with and for me as I do for you. (Pray with and for me, that I don’t eat these words.)
To you who is (hopefully my first and) my last, in time, your name will replace the yous in this letter. In time, there’ll be a face for the person I had in mind while writing all this. In time.
Head over heels and sweeping you off your feet,
Eric
Back to today, my wife and I are now just weeks away from celebrating our first wedding anniversary, and only a few months away from welcoming our first baby.
It is wonderful to think of all that has happened since the writing of that letter, and even more wonderful to think of how they have all come together.
Scriptures say that it is God who writes our stories. And as I look back on this letter, I am reminded that the only life worth telling is the one He authors.
When we trust in Him, we can be confident that it is He who makes all things beautiful in His time (Ecc. 3), redeems the past (Gen. 45:5-8, 50:19-20), and causes all things to work together for the good of those who love Him and have been called according to His purpose (Rom. 8:28).