Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Ephesians 4:2
This weekend, John and I will be celebrating 2 years of dating, and I couldn’t be more excited. As a small gift, I will attempt to express my thankfulness in words.
If you know John, you know that he is pretty special. He is helpful without expecting anything in return. He sets goals for himself and he sticks to them. He is caring about his friends and wants the best for them. He’s smart, loving, and thoughtful. He’s knowledgeable without being braggy.
John will go out of his way to make people laugh. You can tell when he’s working on a joke… there’s this look he does when he’s thinking hard. There’s nothing better than seeing his face after friends react well to a joke. He looks a good bit like a kid in a candy store. 🙂
John is a natural teacher. His patience is unbelievable…trust me; he taught me tennis and that was no easy feat. He explains board games excitedly and thoroughly. I sat in the front row when he was a peer instructor… not just because he was cute but also because I enjoyed seeing him talk about things he cared about. More than anything else, I love watching him lead a bible study and seeing him share his faith.
John knows who he is and he is happy to be himself. He might not realize it, but this has really inspired me. He lives life freely and it’s exciting to be alongside him.
I’ve enjoyed getting to see John serve while we’ve been together. I know the term “servant’s heart” may be overused, but John definitely fits the phrase. He serves daily- whether it be cleaning the BCM, helping me with car problems, or fixing technology problems, he is always ready to lend a helping hand.
In dating for 2 years, John has gotten to see the real me; the broken and imperfect sinner that I am. And somehow, he has stuck with me through it all. He has seen very real flaws that I have and he still loves me. You know what? It’s not “somehow”. It is him trusting in God’s plan for us. He mimics Christ’s love in his actions and forgiveness. He is full of grace and patience. I am truly blessed.
A wise man once prayed “God, thank you for being with us in all of the hills and valleys in life… the mountains and roads… puddles and potholes…” The same wise man then quietly laughed and peeked over at me to see if I smirked.
John Stanley. He has prayed with me through the “pot holes” in life; the moments when things change suddenly and you aren’t fast enough to avoid them. He reminds me to pray when I’m anxious about something and he prays for me often on his own. He sees things about me that I don’t see in myself and he encourages me to push myself to become better.
A finance professor of mine once asked us to take a few moments to think about other students at Auburn as people we could put stock in. She asked us to think of one person who we feel is worth the investment and who we feel would bring a good return in life. John was my honest and easy answer. He consistently amazes me and goes beyond what I expect. He will do amazing things in life. He will share Christ’s love. He will be so, so successful in everything he does. He is well loved, equipped and capable.
He is the best boyfriend I could ask for and he has become my best friend.
John, thank you for loving Jesus and wanting to glorify Him. Thank you for who you are. Thank you for loving me. Thank you for these 2 years. Looking forward to many more.
<3 Haley
P.S. I did this cover for you! My version is far from perfect, but we both love this song so it’s ok.
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