“Do all things without grumbling and disputing, in order that you may become blameless and innocent, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverted generation, among whom you shine as stars in the world.” – Philippians 2:14-15
There is a peculiar glory about my Hayley. A glory that stands out from the rest because she is so not like the rest. Anybody that meets her knows within a moment that there is something different about her, and in that same moment they realize that I am obviously the more blessed of us. There are so many things about Hayley that go against the status quo. Here are but a few:
- She truly loves the Lord. And I don’t mean in the typical way that most Christian’s say they do. She is the most committed and disciplined woman of God I’ve ever met. Not a single day goes by that I don’t leave for work and find her sitting on the couch pouring over the Scriptures with a journal in one hand and a coffee cup in the other. Chaos may be reigning down around us, but she never allows that to prevent her from finding a moment to be still and commune with the Lord.
- She is completely unashamed of her allegiance to Christ. I’ve never once seen her cave in to societal pressures to shut up about Jesus. If she meets someone new, very quickly will they find out who her King is.
- She is an incredible, faithful, stay-at-home mother and she likes it! She never complains about her “lot in life” because she doesn’t consider staying at home with our daughters a bad lot—she considers it a calling. She was made for this and she excels in every way.
- She makes the meanest chicken pot pie I’ve ever put in my mouth. I would bet my firstborn on the superiority of her culinary skills.
- She serves her husband and she does it with joy. This girl is the reason why I’ve been able to go to seminary, why I’ve been able to work up to three jobs at times, why I’ve been able to serve the church in various capacities over the years, and I’ve been able to do all of this without once ever feeling like I was doing it alone. She holds up my arms when the battle is waging and she stays awake while I’m toiling in the Garden.
So you see she’s not like your typical wife, your typical mother, your typical girl. In a world that is continuously denouncing the beauty of a woman who submits herself to seeking the joy of everyone else around her, she is truly a breath of fresh air. She finds her joy in the joy of others and no matter who you are, where you’re from, or what you believe, joy is exactly what she will bring you.
Happy 23rd, Hayley! “Many women have done excellently, but you surpass them all!” – Proverbs 31:29