The Greatest

Proverbs 31:10-21, "An excellent wife, who can find?
For her worth is far above jewels. The heart of her husband trusts in her, and he will have no lack of gain. She does him good and not evil all the days of her life. She looks for wool and flax and works with her hands in delight. She is like merchant ships; she brings her food from afar. She rises also while it is still night and gives food to her household and portions to her maidens. She considers a field and buys it; from her earnings she plants a vineyard. She girds herself with strength and makes her arms strong. She senses that her gain is good; her lamp does not go out at night. She stretches out her hands to the distaff, and her hands grasp the spindle. She extends her hand to the poor, and she stretches out her hands to the needy. She is not afraid of the snow for her household, for all her household are clothed with scarlet."

It is funny that King Lemuel wrote these words thousands of years ago. Funny because they describe my wife Jamie to a tee. Today's is her birthday, and I want her, and the world, to know that I think she is the greatest... second only to Christ Himself. I am so thankful she was born and so thankful that she found me.

Jamie is beautiful, that goes without saying, but her real beauty is what I get to experience everyday. She has such a beautiful heart, and I fully trust in her. Anything other than Jamie in my life would be mere imitation of a wife.

Perhaps what makes Jamie so great is what she has been through. Having faced death, and the loss of 3 of her children has given her an incredible perspective on life. Rushed to the hospital Jamie was having difficulties breathing, her lungs were filling with fluid and the doctors were a miff with the cause. Could it be the twins she was carrying? No one was going to wait any longer to find out, and Jamie was shipped to the medical center for expert care. It was there they discovered the twins were really triplets. Jordan, Taylor and Gracin were their names. It was time for them to come, even at a pound a piece because any longer Jamie was going to loose her life.

For three days Jamie clung to life. Closing her eyes she would feel herself floating up to heaven. Opening them she would see Jesus standing beside her, even stroking her hair as if to comfort. But not just Him, He brought an aroma. Jamie says it smells like anointing oil found in Christian bookstores. And the nurses smelled it too. A nurse would smell the fragrance of Jesus, and run down the hall to tell the other nurses, "He's here!" And they would gather in His presence. But only Jamie could see Him.Over the next 6 months Jamie would spend countless hours in the NICU. And over that same period of time bury those babies one at a time.

This is probably the core of why Jamie is so awesome. Because God loves her so much He sent His Son to personally make sure she didn't come to heaven too soon. She asked me last night why Jesus was by her side. Why He didn't say anything?

The speaking is easy. God has few words because every time He speaks something happens. Take light for example.

But the reason Jesus was beside her is that He wanted to her to be forever reminded that He is always by her side, even in the toughest of times.

I love you Jamie. Happy Birthday! You are the greatest!

The painting of Jesus is called the Prince of Peace by Akiane Kramarik, and was done when she was 8 years old. It happens to be what Colton in the book Heaven is for Real said Jesus looked like in his encounter. (the book is featured to the right) It is also what Jamie says He looked like standing next to her bed.

"When heaven meets earth like a sloppy wet kiss, my heart turns violently inside of my chest."