Join the St. Valentine’s Day 2013 link-up event.
She may not be perfect (pretty darn close), but she’s perfect for me.
How often have you heard some guy refer to his wife as “The Old Ball-and-Chain” or some other derogatory term? Nice witness to the sanctity of marriage, right? We can do better — much better! Living in a culture that readily objectifies women and seeks to redefine marriage, it’s up to us men to turn the tide. A good way to start is by properly honoring our wives, even when they’re not in our presence. To honor my beautiful wife Lisa on St. Valentine’s Day, I present five reasons why I love my wife.
- Lisa brought me to the Church. Okay, that’s something, but it’s actually how she brought me to the Church. Rather than go for the head, she launched a body blow. Punched me right in the heart. “How do I know you’re a man of God if you don’t go to church anywhere?” Ouch; begin argument. Her strategy was brilliant. She knew better than to try to make an intellectual argument. Instead, she immediately put me on the defensive. By the time we were done trading verbal jabs, I barked, “Fine, I’ll go your church with you!” I think I actually hit myself with that one. Next Sunday, I went to my first Mass. A few months later, I was in RCIA. I never had a chance.
- Lisa is humble. What kind of a person gives up a prestigious career with job security, great benefits, and six-figure income, just a few years out of graduate school? It might not be for everyone, but Lisa just couldn’t shake the notion that God was calling her to be a full-time at-home parent as we sought to grow our family. She willingly traded a life of TV interviews, merit raises, and job offers for the demanding, under-appreciated life of service to the children of Das Schmidt Haus. The best part is that she knocks the stay-at-home-Mom gig out of the park! The rhythm of our home flows with the liturgical seasons and feast days, because she totally gets the idea of “domestic church”.
- Lisa is talented. From the pages of our blog, people may expect Lisa to be a brilliant spiritual writer and a polished public speaker. True, but did you know that she is also a crazy gifted singer? Early on in our courtship, she gave me a recording. I made the mistake of listening to it in my car; I almost drove off the road! She could use her musical gifts for her own glory, but instead chooses to put them only in service to the Church.
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Bonus reason – Lisa is beautiful.
Lisa supports me. Regarding all those talents I mentioned above, we could totally build our family’s service to the Church around Lisa’s manifold gifts. However, she instead supports me in deacon formation and aligns everything else around that. When I contemplate the number of singing and speaking events she has had to turn down because they conflicted with formation, it makes my head hurt. If, God willing, I get ordained, it will largely be due to the generosity of her support/martyrdom.
- Lisa makes me a better man. Lisa is a maximizer who sets high standards and doesn’t settle for mediocrity from herself or others. For my part, she holds me accountable for being the best husband and father I can be, which I like…usually (it’s good for me). And when I mess-up, which inevitably I do, she doesn’t advertise it. She’s the best publicist I have; see Why I Love My Husband and Why I Love My Husband (Vol. 2). If she lives long enough to take up my canonization cause, it will be a slam dunk. Seriously, what’s not to love about that?!
I could go on and on; this is just a start. I have a lot more, but I’m saving up for future “Why I Love My Wife” posts. Happy St. Valentine’s Day, Sweetie! You are a blessing and a joy; I love you very, very much!
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Enough from me. Now, let’s hear from you! Link-up or comment below and tell the world why you love your wife.
Thank you, sweetie. I’m at a loss for words. Now that’s something.
How beautiful! Lisa, you are an amazing woman! Happy Valentine’s Day to you lovebirds!
Thank you, Rachel! And right back ‘atcha. Eric’s post is lovely. And I may need to call on you in the months and years to come for some domestic church advice. It’s a blessing to know you both; looking forward to collaborating in the future.
Now that was a good post. I can see why Kathryn and Lisa get along so well. SO much in common!
Maybe it’s a good thing we aren’t neighbors? We might drive you both nuts.
Great job yourself! Thanks very much for joining in and linking up. And yes, our wives are totally cut from the same cloth.
I love it! Have to admit, I had to choke back a few tears as I was reading because it was so beautiful! It’s an honor to know you both!
Thanks, Kara. It’s an honor to know you and Adam, too. From Sirach 6:16, “A faithful friend is an elixir of life.” Thanks for your friendship.
Thanks Kara, and right back at you. Knowing you and Adam has been a tremendous blessing to us.
Lisa IS beautiful! She has an inner peace and calm that seems to center her and carry her about. Of course it only exemplifies the physical beauty that she has.
I agree 100%. Thanks for starting this by introducing Lisa to Kaitlin’s Why I Love My Husband series.
I’m glad to hear that you have such an awesome wife, too. This link-up is a great idea because I don’t tell my wife how awesome she is nearly enough. Thanks for the inspiration!
You’re welcome, and thanks for writing such a beautiful post! Indeed, Rachel is awesome. Your family is a real inspiration for the rest of us.
I consider it a tremendous gift to know you both. It’s always lovely to hear why a spouse honors and loves the other. It inspires me to look for the things I love in my own husband. Thanks, Joel, for nudging my sweet husband to write my love letter today!
Right back at you! He may have needed the idea, but I doubt he needed the motivation.
Joel, thank you for encouraging this. It is a great idea, and I enjoyed putting my thoughts into words. My post is coming, but it is based on a letter I am giving to my wife this evening. So, she gets the exclusive first-look!
Kevin, that’s precisely as it should be. I have the link-up set to close at midnight, but I can extend it if need be. Please let me know. Great to hear from you!
Joel, I’m glad I had the chance to participate. My wife Juliana loved it as well!
Beautiful! You are both very inspiring! What an AMAZING Valentine’s gift. So honored to know you both and call you friends. Now, on to urge my Valentine for his response ….
This is really sweet Joel. A perfect gift for St. Valentine’s Day. Thank you for sharing a portion of your life story with us. It was a very wonderful read and I enjoyed it a lot. Happy Valentine’s Day to both of you.