Inside my Husband's Heart

Today I had a chance to look at my husband’s gallery of pictures on his cell phone.  I am sure some of those were dictated by me. I am notorious as the picture taker extraordinaire.  That doesn't mean my picture-taking is any good.  My method is simply constantly click away and pose people every which way attempting to get the best shot. Many times my husband is ordered and dutifully follows, “Honey, please take a picture of this.” Thank goodness he is so good-humored, or at least he lets me think he is. As I was glancing through his pictures, I found many images I had never seen. Reviewing them was like a picture of my husband’s attitude towards life.  Jim has always delighted in the small moments.  Life, to him, is not all that complicated, at its best.

I saw many pictures he had captured of family that appeared to be taken when no one was paying attention. There also are several that I presume we all thought were long forgotten, removed off his phone for good.  I even saw snapshots of photographs of his parents,deceased. These must have taken when his family was together for their funerals.  All together, these images were a picture of the heart the man I have come to love and cherish.

I tried to capture a cross sampling of his gallery to show a little of each of the people that have made an impression on his life.  However,  there are many folks that matter to Jim where images are not on his cell phone.  Some, no names mentioned, can't stand having their picture taken.  Yet, I know they have had an impact on his life and he deeply values his relationship with them as well.  

Many of Jim's images are not posed. He claims to not be great a picture taking. In spite of that, I found myself reviling at the emotions he seems to capture effortlessly on so many images, in particular of our grandchildren.  I clearly see the innocence so on their faces and their blinding trust.  Amazed at what I saw, when the slideshow was complete, I found myself seeing the sentimental side of a man that shows very little emotion, in pictures.  The humor, which is an integral part of who Jim is, becomes quite evident also.

Jim downloads pictures off his camera periodically.  This sampling is only what currently resides on the gallery. But, I think it is representative of where his heart is. See, some of these images  he has chosen to leave on his cell. I can only speculate it is because they are meaningful to him.   They reveal what he is attuned to, that is not wasting energy over trivial things.  He has always placed great value on intangibles. 

Our faith has been the glue of our relationship.  We both believe God is central and the core of our being. We express this  in different ways but within our marriage, it is key.  In our decision-making, it is the single more important element. 

Life comes at you hard and fast. It seems easier to roll with the flow and not stop and think before making decisions to implement changes.  Positive changes can be life altering too.  They can also alienate others. But, God calls us to be warriors of his word. In doing so, we must follow his lead and sometimes cause those ripples in our lives.  That means, making Christian decisions and holding ourselves accountable for trying to meet those standards. Jim has been a motivator in doing this for me and a footrest when I need to rest from the storm. In our world, it helps us to encircle our life with a support system of individuals that have a belief system similar to ours. He has also always chosen well his friend base.

Jim has had a major impact on my life. He is a rock, in many ways. I think he impacts many others who have known him well too. No matter the depth of despair he is going through, he

remains spiritually strong and outwardly in control.  He never wavers in sharing his profound faith in God with me. This has freed me to share mine with him.  This serves only to strengthen a marriage and individually increase one's commitment to the covenant to God.  When I need strength, Jim builds me up. When I need a shoulder to cry on, he is there. When I need someone to laugh, even if the jokes aren't funny, he finds the strength to laugh, even when God must surely roll his eyes at my humor. 

We are all called to be, in our close relationships, similar to how God is to us, a supporter, a nurturer, a friend, someone who can accept each other’s faults and help each other learn how to grow.  I hope the images from my husband’s phone give you a glimpse into his heart. I know in my heart God smiles when he sees how open my husband’s heart is to those that come near him in his life.  He doesn't always get appreciated for all that he is, he gives and for the fact he expects nothing back. But I know in heaven he will get his just reward. 

Creating this slideshow is a snapshot of how a man who was raised in the Church and has kept his Christian faith throughout his life views those that matter through a scope on his phone.  These are the moments that really count in his life.  Click Here To See