Jonathan by Raquel

Jonathan is a child of the Lord, my husband, a son, and a friend. First, his faith has been long-standing. At the young age of six his mom shared the Gospel with him, he accepted the Lord as his Savior, and he has been serving the Lord since. Admittedly, he isn’t perfect and has made mistakes like us all which has allowed him to value the sweet mercy and grace that God provides in a personal way. He enjoys reading scripture and devotionals daily, helps to disciple younger men, serves in our church, and remains constant in his love for the Lord. Because of his young call to the Lord, he has this unique ability to always know that God is good and is in control. Unlike me, he doesn’t doubt that. He may doubt himself or someone else, of course, but when it comes to knowing who God is and knowing that he is loved, Jonathan is unwavering.

Then he is my husband. My starry-eyed, stubborn boy. Jonathan is the man that I never knew that I needed. Everyday I wake up I am incredibly humbled to know that he is the man God has made for me. Jonathan is loyal, compassionate, and unbelievably kind. He can make friends with just about anyone he meets. He loves to wash cars, look at houses, loves to visit new hotels and is always the one to find a good deal whether on a house, car, or groceries - he loves a sale! He is also incredibly headstrong and stubborn (and he is way more stubborn than me I don’t care what he says!) But I have needed it, I have needed someone that will push me to see another side and not back down when I am hard-headed. He has been an amazing leader for our little family in a way that is oftentimes quiet yet steady. Jonathan has stood by me time and time again. I have more baggage than he does in a lot of ways and yet he doesn’t blink an eye. Infertility, heartache, insecurity, sorrow, trauma, he is there, pointing me to God and giving me a warm embrace and space to cry. In so many ways Jonathan has helped me become who I never thought I could be and what is remarkable is that he saw that part of me from day one. He knew it was there and was patient with me while I finally started to allow God to show me. Since that first date at Sonic, he has been my home.

Next, he is an outstanding son. Jonathan’s parents divorced when he was very young and they both remarried two wonderful people. But there were hard times. All five of them had to navigate and redefine what their family was. One sweet habit that Jonathan picked up was calling his mom in the mornings and his dad in the evenings. If he was at the other parents’ home he would always call the other to check in on them. Every day on his commute to and from work, he still calls his parents. And in so many little ways he honors them. His mom always had to write out her budget to help her feel better about the money and now every pay day he sits down and writes out our budget in a tattered composite notebook. His dad is always keeping a clean house and a pristine yard. Ever since we have been married Jonathan cleans the house (despite my complaining) every other week and loves to spend time in the yard. He calls it ‘Jesus-clean’ so that no matter who calls us and no matter what they need, our home is always open for others who need a safe space to come to. He honors all of his parents by taking good care of all the things we have worked for and the people in our lives and hopes to pass on the same values to our children.

Lastly, Jonathan is an undeniable friend. One of my favorite ways that the Lord revealed to me that Jonathan was the man for me was in other people’s words. Once the news broke that we were dating I was overwhelmed by the amount of people who would stop me, people who I didn’t even know, telling me that ‘I got a good one’ or ‘Oh Jonathan, he is so sweet!’ I was given so many stories of times when he came through for someone or took the time to talk with someone when they were hurting. And all of his really good buddies were then and are now goofy, kind, upstanding, God-fearing men who love their families and encourage Jonathan each time they talk. Jonathan is the kind of friend that will go out of his way to be there for you. He is always thinking and praying for his friends and walks with them in their struggles while also laughing with them when he can.

Fun Facts About J-Money

Has no idea where J-Money came from
Cuts Grass and Washes Cars for Fun
Eats Anything Spicy and loves root beer
Is a Memphis Tiger
LOVES to travel
Would own a truck, Suburban, boat and basically anything with a key
Loves 80’s rock, Duran Duran, and pretty much any music before 2000
Favorite thing is talking and sipping coffee with family and friends
Gets excited to save money and go to Aldis
Has watched all of the Forensic and Cold Case Files
Finds all of our friends the best deals cars or houses and looks at realtor.com for fun
Loves funny Youtube videos
Favorite outfit is pj’s and house shoes

To sum up my J-Money, he is a strong, kind, graceful, honorable, steady man who loves the Lord. He has a tenderness and a kindness that is so steadfast and I can see how this will make him into a loving daddy who is kind with his children. He is most excited when he is able to do something for someone else and I just know he will have so much joy in taking our kids on trips or to a cool local outing or new hotels he has found. Jonathan has this profound way of reminding me that ordinary life is extraordinary as I am sure he will show any child who is placed in his arms. I pray for the day that I get to hear his sweet words to a baby or his fun laughs as he plays on the floor with them. And even more how he teaches each young man to believe in himself and each darling girl how cherished she is.