In Honor of Ryan: my husband

My husband is a carpenter and we get up early…. painfully early. Right now we get up at 4:45 am. Lately, we haven’t been getting to bed on time because we have been helping various friends with their home improvement projects. So last night when we got home at 9:35 pm, we were SO tired and really looking forward to going straight to bed. However, God had other plans for my husband. And it is in this divine appointment that my husband’s character shows. (To God be the glory!)

As we were driving into our driveway, we noticed a man sitting on a small patch of weeds that is just between our fence and our driveway. He had some bags around him and was doing nothing special. As we drove in, he simply leaned back but didn’t move. He seemed to be drunk. Well, we don’t live in the best neighborhood so this raised suspicions in our minds. We discussed in the car what "we" should do. (And by “we” I mean Ryan) Should we tell him to go away? Should we talk with him? Should we just call the police and let them deal with him? First we decided to let the dog out into the yard and see if that would scare him away. Malachi (my dog) didn’t even notice the guy. So Ryan heads out. He asks the man (whom I called a bum), “Sir, are you waiting for someone?”. The man goes on to reply that he is indeed waiting for the woman who lives across the street (who is the mother of his two sons) to return with his boys, so that he can take them somewhere… but they had a fight earlier and the cops were called, so he can’t wait on the front steps of her house. Thus he is using our yard as his resting place.

Why do I mention all of this? I am writing a Father’s day article to bless and honor my husband… what does a bum have to do with that? Well, here’s why: my husband stood outside and listened graciously to this guy tell him all his problems (and there was a lot of them) late at night when he was very tired and sleep deprived, after working a very physically demanding job all day. He didn’t cut him off or send him on his way. He looked with eyes of faith and saw that God had given him this time to share the gospel and the love of Jesus with a bum, whom He had brought right to our fence. And so Ryan was faithful to the task that God had given him. He is truly a friend to sinners just like Jesus is.

Ryan is really a blessing to me and has many wonderful qualities that the Holy Spirit has produced in him since salvation, but the one that stands out so often is his real desire and pursuit of building relationships with people who have no concept of Jesus or salvation, for the sake of witnessing to them. He diligently seeks to befriend the carpenters and other tradesmen that he works with for the sake of the gospel. He has had many opportunities to share Christ with the guys from work, as well as to spend time building those relationships with them outside of work, because he really cares for them and it shows. When we are invited to one of their backyard cookouts, Ryan reminds us that we are there to build the relationship for the purpose of sharing Christ with these guys and their wives. We’re not there simply to relax or to “just have fun” (though we do have fun on these "missions"). This heart attitude has not been without its consequences. Ryan has had to give up his free time as well as step out of his comfort zone, but he does it without complaint.

God has really done a work in my husband and I am so blessed by him. He is faithful, loving, generous, morally courageous, and bold. He genuinely cares for peoples' souls. He is a hard worker and loves to serve the people from our local body. He is a good daddy to our boys. He wrestles, plays Legos, talks with them about Jesus and teaches them how to do “man stuff”. He is a wonderful husband to me. He is strong and not steam rolled by my stubborn pride. He doesn’t back down from a challenge (he’s been married to me for almost 14 yrs now and hasn’t broken yet)! He is my lover and my friend. He dreams BIG about where God might lead us and use us. I can see God at work in my husband making him more like Jesus through the Holy Spirit… and it fills me with hope and joy. Thank you God for Ryan and thank you Ryan, for daily trying hard to live out Christ before our eyes, to His glory!