Everything Sunny Always

If you read my post about Valentine’s Day you know that I’m not a big fan of the commercial holiday. Not that there’s anything wrong with it, it just doesn’t jive with me. I always ask that Aaron not get me anything because I don’t really go for the kitschy Valentines paraphernalia. This year I didn’t want chocolate because I’m trying to watch what I eat. I never want flowers because they last for two days and then they’re dead. I didn’t want a card because in spite of my best intentions to scrapbook most of the cards I receive, they just end up on a box in the office called “cards.” An uninspirational end to an otherwise, well-meant gesture. Cards just make me feel guilty for throwing them away.

We had intended on getting each other nothing this Valentines Day when the weekend before February 14th Aaron revealed to me that he was writing me a letter. Not really for Valentines, but it happened to fall around that holiday. So sweet!

But there’s more to this letter than it just being a “love letter.” Actually, it’s not a love letter at all. Aaron got this idea from a class he is taking on Wednesday nights at the counseling center where he interns. The class is based on the book Soul Talk by Larry Crabb. I have yet to read the book but I love the idea of it. In the book the author suggests writing a vision letter to a specific person in your life. Here is how Aaron describes a Vision Letter:

Inspired by Larry Crabb’s “Soul Talk” and led by the Holy Spirit I just completed a vision letter for my dear sweet wife, Hannah. I encourage everyone to ignite the passion in those they love and share your Godly vision for them. What do you see God doing in their lives and how can you be a part of it? Speak to their soul. We are our own worst critics and sometimes we need someone from the outside to show us the vision they have for our lives. Think of someone you deeply want to connect with. Think about what is going on in their life. Use the passion inside of you to reach the deepest part of who they are. Tell them what you see God doing in their life. What would their life look like if it was completely abandoned to God. What do you see in them that God wants to use. What do you see for them. What is your vision for them. How can you be a part of that plan and help them strive towards their true image of themselves in Christ. We are all supposed to bear the image of God. What does it mean for them to bear the image of God? What is the vision for their life?

When he told me he was writing me a letter I thought, “that’s the PERFECT Valentine’s Day gift!” In my excitement, I decided to write Aaron a Vision Letter to explain the vision I have for my husband. I’m not great at explaining to him regularly the great things I see him doing in his life so I thought this was the perfect opportunity to do so.

Since we’re not big on buying regalia for Valentines, when we read each other’s letters aloud to the other, we decided that this would make a perfect tradition; To write each other a Vision Letter every February 14th.

We also decided to share here on the blog what we wrote to each other.

To read my letter to Aaron {C L I C K  H E R E}.

To read Aaron’s letter to me {C L I C K  H E R E}

I am so blessed to be able to share this life with you. You are the perfect partner for me. You’re everything I never knew I needed. But God knew. And thinking about that makes me so grateful to him and puts me in complete awe of his perfect plan. When I think of how he had the perfect plan for us as a couple, it encourages me to believe that he will continue to bring to fruition his divine plan for us as a couple and for us individually.

When I think of the vision I see for you it makes my heart skip beats. Why? Because there is such an anointing over your life that it makes want to scream it from the roof-tops. I see such a passion in you for people, for marriages, and for couples. You, Aaron, were born to make a difference. Your heart is so beautifully pure. You are one of the most “real” people I have ever known. You are completely selfless in everything you do even when it comes to complete strangers. You have such a passion for people – to see them happy, to make them happy, and you are willing to sacrifice to make that happen, even when they don’t reciprocate the same selflessness. You hurt for them. You are happy for them. Even when you may want to feel angry or hurt, you always try to look at the inner workings of those who have come against you, in order to understand what makes them who they are and to pray that they will reach their fullest potential.

Your heart for marriage and your love to see each couple thrive that you come in contact with is something that has potential to create change the way marriage is viewed in this world. I see the potential you have to be the one to lead these people to wholeness and healing. You are well equipped in your character and in your training to be able to do this because God has given you a gift…he has gifted you with the ability to change peoples’ lives. Continue to allow yourself to be a vessel to allow God to help heal and this world will be changed.

The path that you are walking down will throw baggage on your back until you are no longer able to carry the weight alone. I see how your heart breaks when you read statistics about divorce. I see the weight you carry when you come home from your internship after seeing so many hurt people. I see that you carry an emotional burden for a hurting person or a hurting couple. I see the heart you have for them. You can’t carry this burden alone. As your wife, I’m here to help you alleviate some of that weight but the ultimate burden carrier is the Lord. Make sure that you allow yourself to cast your burdens on Him. Let the weight of life fall at his feet. While the goal is to help every person you come in contact with, we are humans in a sinful world and that is not always possible. We can’t do it alone. I pray that when you are at that point of desperation because your heart is breaking because healing is not taking place, I pray that you will find peace in prayer for that person and trust that the Lord will work in their life beyond what you can do for them. He is the ultimate healer and burden barer.

I see so much potential in you. You are a brilliant man in so many areas but I want to encourage you in this letter in the area of your profession. I know that sometimes you feel unqualified to be a counselor for whatever reason but Aaron, you have a gift…not only are you a natural at working with people, you absorb every book you read, you think about it night and day, you are constantly applying the things you learn to your own life, you talk to people about what you have learned and you have made a change in their life by giving them the tools they need. You get so excited when you talk to people about helping marriages. You are more than qualified in what you do, not only because you are diligent in studying and learning but because it is what you are meant to do, 100%. I believe that with every cell in my body. And it makes me so excited to see what the future holds. I know that you (we) have big goals of writing books and doing conferences, and I thoroughly believe that that’s what we will be doing. But those are long-term goals. It can be discouraging that those goals aren’t approaching faster so I want to encourage you to be active now. Don’t wait on things to come to you, go chase them. Just because you don’t have a license yet doesn’t mean you can do what you want to do. It doesn’t mean you can’t pave your own path. Write articles. Organize small groups. Search for opportunities to speak. In the mean time, don’t think that the small efforts you are taking now don’t mean anything for the future. Take the passion and knowledge and skills you already have and apply them to opportunities you create for yourself. These things will help you grow and lead you to your ultimate goal. You are such a resource for everyone who comes in contact with you.

I can’t wait to see you living out your dreams. You’ve already been brave enough to put them into action by spending your time studying and being diligent in school…and you’ve done all of this while working and being a husband. Sometimes I forget that in our trying to have a baby that you are hurting too. You are an incredible example of how to love your wife through her hurt and through your own. It’s so painful to be going through this barren season in our lives but on the other side you’ll be able to show how God was loving and faithful even through all of the pain. Your pain will minister to people. Your pain and heart ache won’t be in vain. Thank you for being strong and thank you for being an incredible example of faith and perseverance. Not only that but you are so real in doing so. It’s not contrite or forced. It’s the love of Christ the you have engrained in you that makes you such a real, vulnerable person. You are an incredible example of a husband’s love and a father’s devotion.

There are no words to adequately express how much I believe in you and there are no words to describe the beautiful picture I have in my head of your destiny here on this planet. You are a world changer, Aaron – in my life, in the life of your kids, in the lives of your friends and family, and in the lives of complete strangers. I feel as though I’ve been given a priceless, beautiful gift in the opportunity of being your wife. I literally thank God every single day for the opportunity to live life with you and pray that he gives me the privilege of doing so for a lifetime. I pray that I can speak life into you and that through my love and actions and our living our life together that you can get a glimpse of the beauty, potential, and vision I see in you.

You are a spectacular human being.

All my love,

Hannah

To read about what a vision letter is and how it’s has become a part of our family tradition {C L I C K  H E R E}.

To read Aaron’s Vision Letter to me {C L I C K  H E R E}.