To Geoff: A Letter for You on Your Birthday

Dear Geoff,

I thought you were a little crazy that first time I met you and you ate an orange, peel and all. Or was it garlic that time? I can't remember. Your unconventional ways were strange to me, at first. When we go to a restaurant and I order water and you say, "That sounds good. I'll have some of that too," I still laugh, even if I want to hide behind the menu sometimes =) You aren't worried about what people think, and that's a good thing.

But your unconventional ways bleed into all areas of your life. Yes, it's sad that common courtesy is actually rather uncommon. But for you, it's totally normal to leave big fat tips, to talk to the cashier at the grocery store and make his or her day with some compliment or funny remark. It's totally normal for you to remember peoples' names and to make fast friends with perfect strangers.

And it's just like you...

to tutor a guy for free during your summer break,
to take some of the young guys from church to the gym with you and teach them to lift weights,
to learn to roast your own coffee and to pour me a cup every morning,
to change the oil in my car and install new windshield wipers,
to use our tax return to pay rent for the whole summer, instead of spending it on some new toy.

I could go on and on. But I'll let some of your good works remain a secret. Although, as I've told you before, Jesus never said, "Don't let your left hand know what your spouse's right hand is doing," if that sentence even makes sense. I know you take Jesus' words seriously, and I admire how you really do so much that no one else will ever know about. But I do want to brag on you every once in a while. And hopefully by doing so, others can learn from your example as well.

Geoff, you don't just live for the moment.You discipline yourself for future tasks. You are always learning. You live for a purpose greater than yourself--and that purpose is the kingdom of God. You want others to know Jesus. You seek to follow him in every area of your life. Of course, you don't do this perfectly. But you do it faithfully. And you seek to learn from your mistakes and respond in humility when you are corrected or challenged.

I used to think I wanted a fairytale romance. But there's this thing about fairy-tales: they' re not real. And they're usually just about two people whose whole world is seeking their happiness in each other. But the beauty of a marriage with two people seeking to follow Jesus is that your life together can be so much bigger than that--it can become about other people too. You know one of the most romantic things? It's when our house is filled with people, and I catch your eye and smile, and you wink back at me from across the room. Knowing we are in this together, that we get to love people together--this is the stuff true love stories are made of.

So, I'm so thankful for you and your unconventional ways. I know there are other men out there who are unconventional in good ways too. I know some of them and I'm thankful for them. The world would be a better place if more of you existed.

But today, on your birthday, I celebrate you, and the fact that I get to be your teammate in life. You are definitely my favorite of all.