For Mr. Hickman

Today as I was sitting beside my husband eating lunch, I picked up my bread, which was a little brown for my taste, and began to break it apart to dip it in my tomato sauce. As I was breaking it, I realized that it was rather crunchy. At that moment, my husband reached over and told me to trade him pieces of bread. He did this because his was nice and moist.

This moment was one of beauty. I could have wept, but  I held it back. Why? Because in that moment I knew that I was known by him.  He knows I don't like crunchy bread. It wasn't the crunchy bread. I would have eaten it and moved on with my life, but by trading me bread he was saying "I see your desires and I'm doing what I can to provide for them."

I've been reading a lot of things lately about love, sex, and relationships. The most common theme I am recognizing in my reading is that when it comes to "love," every human being just has a desire to be known.

Someone a lot smarter than me, Dannah Gresh, wrote a book called What are You Waiting For?: The One Thing No One Ever Told You About Sex. 

In this lovely and honest book she discusses this truth, that the desire to be know sometimes leads hurting people to physical sex that isn't fulfilling and leaves them damaged. She discusses the connotation of the Hebrew word "yada" that means "to know, to be known, to be deeply respected." Gresh points out that this is the desire of the human heart and how to overcome damage done in the past. I reccomend this book to any high school or college age young woman whether she has struggled with sexual sin or not.

Even as a married woman, this book has resonated with me and I am still discovering my deep desire to be known and deeply respected by the love of my life. I am also discovering the importance of knowing and respecting him.

Mostly I am writing this blog because I want the world to know how I love and appreciate Mr. Lucas Hickman, the poor soul who has been married to me for 4 months yesterday. I'm so grateful for his effort to know and look out for my every need every minute. I'm also thankful for such a fun best friend.

Thank you, dear. Happy 4 month-a-versary (a day late).

I love you.

(And to everyone else, stay tuned tomorrow for the top 5 things I have learned in the last 4 months, some really funny, some very serious heart matters).

You're all swell too.

But here is a picture of myself and my love in Hawaii...

Have a happy day, friends. I know I am.