I chose art project option #2 this week, which was: "You can make any award to celebrate a quality you admire in your spouse. You choose the theme and present it to your spouse in whatever way you choose. I know this seems very vague, but you know what to celebrate about your partner and so have fun coming up with ideas!"
As always, you can view the video that goes with this art project on the Facebook page (tap or click on the photo link on the top right side of this blog site). In the video I read the letter I wrote that matches this award and explain that your project this week doesn't really have to match the letter I!
You can also read the letter below:
The Endurance Award
My Darling Mel,
This award is to represent what you are the best of or best at. The obvious awards to grant you would be for being the best husband, best lover, best friend, and overall best man. I wanted to go beyond the obvious and explore all you are as Mel, or more specifically, Lynn Melton Ludeke.
Thinking about your entire life, I knew the best award to give you had to be the “Endurance Award.” There are several layers to this award.
At the tender age of eleven, you were forced to endure the first major tragedy of your young life, the death of your beloved father, Paul. Not only did you face your own heartache, but had to watch your sweet mother, Marie, suffer as a widow. Financially, times were tough. Emotionally, the grief would always hold a place in your heart for the loving father that never got to see the man his son became. Spiritually, you have become your father’s son. In spite of his absence, Paul left a lasting legacy of spiritual strength and wisdom in the characters you now possess.
Losing your dad was hard enough, but you also had to endure a condition with no cure. Your body betrayed you with Tourette’s Syndrome, forcing you to suffer with pain, exhaustion, and worse still, rejection from those who did not care enough to understand your torment. Being the man you are, you face this syndrome with grace and strength. You push forward and do your best not to complain. Lesser people become bitter over lesser conditions, but you are a loving, tender-hearted man, who has learned to be humble and patient, in spite of it all.
For most, either the loss of a parent or a non-curable condition would be more than enough to endure. Unfortunately, life was not done dealing its devastating blows. Just twenty years after the death of your dad, your devoted mother, Marie, left this world to join to her beloved Paul. For Marie, I am certain this was a joyous occasion as she had grieved her true love for two decades, and she was finally meeting the Jesus she had faithfully served. However, for you, the loss of your kind mother was unadulterated tragedy. She also would leave an unfillable hole in your heart. Yet, also like your father, Marie’s strong faith in Christ left a shining example to her beloved sons, and you knew to cling to the robes of Christ rather than push away.
I wish I did not have to add more to this sad tale, but you know as well as I, that you were about to face two more earth-shattering losses. First came the devastating death of your only sibling, Larry. Your older brother had been such a good friend, as well as a surrogate father, and many memories are still painful.
While still in mourning for your brother’s sudden death, just nine months later, your first love, partner and friend passed away. The one you had planned to spend forever with. So many plans made together were now devastated as you were now facing the death of your wife, Kim.
How much more, Lord, must this faithful child of yours be forced to endure? Well, a little over two years later, the nephew you were closest to, Bob, who was like another brother, suddenly died as well. Grief overtook your world again.
The beauty of the “Endurance Award” is that it has a lot more to do with than just what you have had to endure in the area of tragedy and hardships. It celebrates whom you have become, in spite of all the tears you have been forced to cry.
You are choosing to fight the good fight of faith and you are choosing to endure to the end. You are an obedient servant to Christ and readily preach the gospel, spread the message of holy living and share your dreams and visions. You press forward in spite of criticisms and rejections. You write and share what God wants you to share and write. You are brave, bold, strong, and willing to be used by Christ.
Have you had moments of doubt? Of course! Anyone would. In fact, most would have fallen away many, many years ago. But you have endured in strength, spirituality, and in character.
Had you wallowed in self-pity and not forced to get up each day and see daylight, I would have lost out on the most precious gift of my life. I am grateful you have an enduring heart and allowed yourself to heal and love again. I am so grateful you opened your heart up to me and made me the happiest woman alive by giving me the privilege of being your wife!
Thank you for choosing life. Thank you for listening to God’s Voice. Thank you for enduring.
I hereby grant you with this, the “Endurance Award.”
Love Forever,
Julie
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