Sunday, July 29, 2012

My Hero Wears Combat Boots

My mom, an avid Facebooker, posted a picture to her profile a few days ago and tagged it as a picture of my husband. It looked kinda like this:

I thought it was adorable.... It also sparked my curiosity of what the Biblical heroes were like. So I started reading through some of my favorite stories...

Judges chapter seven names a man, Gideon, who was an amazing hero and warrior. He was obedient and loved to "play the odds" at numbers. He killed thousands by leading a few (about 100) into battle. 1 Samuel 17 speaks of a Philistine hero named Goliath. He stood more than a foot taller than the tallest of any Hebrew man. He was a fierce warrior who knew no fear. A godless man who fell at the toss of a stone from a slingshot. The stone was thrown by another hero appearing throughout 1 Samuel. That hero was David who the Bible speaks of as being handsome, ruddy, and small in stature. He went on to become the most respected king of Judah and Israel. Throughout the Old Testament are many examples of men who heroically changed the future  of nations by stepping out into society and taking risks most men of their time were either too fearful or comfortable to take. . .

My hero is no different when it comes to taking risks... He asked me to marry him (which is a HUGE risk in and of itself).  He wears flip flops, sneakers, combat boots.... and he pumps my gas. He takes me to the grocery store and holds open the door for me. He says nothing as he waits hours for me to get dressed and fix my hair. He walks the dogs and washes the dishes. Some mornings, he cooks me breakfast instead of me always doing the cooking. Then, after he works all day, he fires up the grill and prepares our dinner.

He treats me with respect; and values my opinion as an equal partner would ("Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, so that nothing will hinder your prayers. 1 Peter 3:7). In my hero's eyes, I am a precious gift... and he guards me with his life.

He leads our family (of me and two dogs) from on his knees.  He is a warrior at work and in his prayer life. He worships and loves; and fights for his beliefs. He prays with me and for me. He not only reads his Bible, but also uses it in our everyday lives. On Sundays, he takes me to church.... then home to do our devotionals as we spend our day just talking and loving each other. He is my Hero. . . AND yes! He does wear combat boots.