My soul is ripe with punctuation, including a few question marks. I continue to think of Muriel traveling on bloodied foot to meet the love of her life. Were her feet those of Christ nailed to a cross? What remained of Muriel, after the loss of faculties, was her abiding love for her husband. Period.

From the archives:

I have a friend whose husband left her after many years of marriage for reasons undisclosed. My friend is slowly recovering her faith and putting her emotional life back together. The following is a testament to the resilience of her spirit and mine:

I long to be loved and cherished by one special man with an enduring capacity for romance and life to enjoy the best years ahead.

I want to be cared for by a man who gives freely from his heart to me, who puts me first, ahead of children, other family, friends, and work.

I want to feel safe with him, to know that he is faithful and honors his commitment to me, that it is built on maturity, love, and family values. I want to be considered, regarded, well treated, and respected, to be the Proverbs 31 “virtuous woman” in his eyes.

I want to be included in his life, to share family and friends, fully, wholly, and unreservedly.

I want one special man to be interested in me, in my thoughts, ideas, and feelings. I want him to see me, listen to me, and look me in the eye when he talks to me, to communicate openly and honestly with kindness and sincerity.

I want him to accept me and be patient with me, to understand that my life journey has served to grow me for my relationship with him.

I want one special man who enjoys closeness and intimacy, who feels from his soul, thinks with his head, and speaks from his heart. 

I want one special man to travel with on the road of life, enhancing me, encouraging me, serving me, and helping me to become the woman I want to be to him.

I want him to make time for me, to give me time, to value our time together as precious.

I want him to see me, call me, talk with me, have fun with me, relax with me, and share with me, regularly. I want him to surprise me with affection and romantic gestures.

I want to feel understood and be known by one special man in a relationship that is natural, easy, passionate, compassionate, and caring.

I want to be body, soul, and mind the full expression of the woman God made me to be, alive, embraced, and cherished by one special man under the reign of Christ.

I want him to regard our life together as a daily adventure in knowing each other as God knows us and to glorify Him.

I want my husband to say to me, “I love you,” and mean it “til death do us part.”

Ephesians 5: 21 And further, you will submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. 22 You wives will submit to your husbands as you do to the Lord. 23 For a husband is the head of his wife as Christ is the head of his body, the church; he gave his life to be her Savior. 24 As the church submits to Christ, so you wives must submit to your husbands in everything. 25 And you husbands must love your wives with the same love Christ showed the church. He gave up his life for her 26 to make her holy and clean, washed by baptism and God’s word. 27 He did this to present her to himself as a glorious church without a spot or wrinkle or any other blemish. Instead, she will be holy and without fault. 28 In the same way, husbands ought to love their wives as they love their own bodies. For a man is actually loving himself when he loves his wife. 29 No one hates his own body but lovingly cares for it, just as Christ cares for his body, which is the church. 30 And we are his body. 31 As the Scriptures say, “A man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one.” 32 This is a great mystery, but it is an illustration of the way Christ and the church are one. 33 So again I say, each man must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.  New Living Translation