In a few days my wife Brenda, will be celebrating her birthday. While this post will be a total surprise to her, I am sending this out as an homage, as I think of lessons I’m learning from our journey together.  

Marriage is hard. Good marriages take work and great marriages take commitment. While this post isn’t about marriage, the observation is certainly noteworthy.

Commitment has little to do with feelings and more to do with doing it regardless. Like anything, there will be days we’re just not feeling it. We all have them, even though responsibility compels us to bite the bullet. 

Our steadfastness to the value of commitment in areas of our faith, family, work, learning and personal development, adds strength to the foundation for our lives. 

Except in rare cases, I’ll bet someone, somewhere is counting on us to be loyal, available, healthy, honest, dependable, listening, compassionate, faithful, forgiving, prayerful and supportive, and this list may be inexhaustible.

While commitment isn’t for the faint of heart, its main focus isn’t self serving, but a focus on others, and is outreaching. It ensures and gives confidence to another that we can be counted on and will remain steady.

As one would expect, there will be obstacles to what we commit ourselves to, which behooves us to consider before committing. 

At times there are things out of our control, death, delays, bad weather, bad health, terrible timing, unforeseen circumstances… However, when we honor our obligation we go the distance even above and beyond at times. 

Even in the toughest of circumstances, we strive to keep our commitment as best as humanly possible, as they should be consciously made and honorably upheld.

Granted, that’s how I envision commitment, you may not agree with me at all, but in my perception of commitment, it’s not easy to get out of, because our word is on the line. 

This is why we should count the cost BEFORE commiting.

That said; this is what I wanted to describe to you about Brenda, her commitment in standing with me through a severe rough patch of life. She has been commitment personified, it inspires me to live more committed as well!

I realize everyone doesn’t have this, and frankly I don’t have it because I deserve it, but in some way God smiled on me and sent kindness my way. 

By the way, this commitment is a two way street! So my prayer for you isn’t to have what I have, but better. Maybe it won’t be found in a marital  relationship or maybe it will.

My cautionary question is; is it the commitment you seek to provide for others in a selfless way, or is it the commitment you’re holding out for to receive from them?  The good news is, we get to decide.

Happy Birthday Brenda and thank you for your selfless devotion.

anablepsis.