happy 31st, my love

dear christy,

happy 31st, my love.

seven years ago god placed you in my path and nothing's been the same since. i moved cities for you during a pandemic. i'd do it a thousand times. from seattle to la, from long distance through covid to the same zip code, from strangers to best friends to husband and wife, every chapter with you has been better than the last.

from tokyo to orlando to hawaii to london to paris to new york to amsterdam to berlin to chicago to indonesia to portland to our living space, you've turned every place into something holy. three novembers in japan. worship nights with elevation worship and elevation rhythm. beach walks and the boardwalk. the grove and culver steps on random weeknights. disney and universal. movies in the bedroom. your cooking. meals with family and friends. the good and the bad, the ups and the downs, the highs and the lows, the mountaintop and the valley. all of it, all grace.

you're the best evidence i have that god answers prayer. you don't just make my life better, you make me more like jesus. that's the kind of love only he could've designed.

you're the kindest thing god has ever given me. you make me more like him without even trying. i look at you and i see his faithfulness, his timing, his kindness. proof that he keeps every promise and finishes what he starts.

31 looks so beautiful on you.

happy birthday, my love. i thank jesus for you every single day.

all my love,
ryan