When I was a stay-at-home mama I remember being so jealous of Darin when he would get to travel for work. It was less the action of getting on a plane and exploring a new place, but more about ministry “shop-talk” with people “on-mission” that he connected with and learned from. It was the conversations over dinner or coffee or a beer that I knew challenged him and stimulated him, and which would have done the same for me. But he was there and I was home. Looking back, I hope I didn’t begrudge him these trips, but I do remember having an envious heart.
Fast forward a few years and here I sit, on the eve of his birthday, away in Portland, Oregon. I’m here doing seven days of face-to-face classes which are required for my mostly-online seminary degree. I’m here learning in class for hours from interesting and challenging professors, and learning after hours with classmates as I hear their stories and their “takeaways.” And Darin is home shuttling kids to school, packing lunches, and tucking them in each night with prayers for me as I’m away.
And I can’t help wondering if he’s jealous of me like I was of him.
But whatever the feelings might be, he is supporting me. He is encouraging me. He is taking over for me. He is already planning for me to add another year to get a higher degree.
I am so incredibly blessed by him. I wish he was here with me: asking questions of Dr. Sweeden, eating the delicious pasta sauce Cynthia made, laughing at Greg’s jokes, trying to figure out which food cart to try, adding his thoughts to conversations with Mike and Kelsi and Josh and and so many more, and snuggling down with me each night in the too-firm bed in our rental house.
I am so grateful for him, so grateful for this. It is no small thing for me to be here, for me to be tackling this. And there is no way I could do it without him.
Happy Birthday my love. Thank you
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