A Letter to My Son-in-Law

Right now, you are becoming the man my daughter will commit to loving for the rest of her life. You are out in the world somewhere, but you are on your way to her and you will be in our lives very soon.

Here’s a secret: I cannot wait. 

 

I have prayed for you for years, as well as for my heart as you enter our lives. I have prayed that I would love you from the very beginning, that I would think that you are too good to be true, that I would see immediately that you will be a wonderful husband and father. 

 

I am truly excited about your arrival. I am not worried about losing my daughter to you. She loves me and her father. She respects us and we adore her. There is enough love to go around. I will never, ever ask her to choose. I will be your biggest fan. I will pick you first in charades and Trivial Pursuit. I am excited to add you to our group chat and to include you in our family pictures. I will make your favorite dessert when you come visit and have your favorite drink ready.

 

I promise to be transparent with you about who I am…because that will ultimately help you understand my daughter. You will know our strengths and our weaknesses. I will not sugarcoat the struggles, but I will not dwell on the mistakes either. You can ask me any question and I will answer truthfully. However, I will respect your need for privacy and will allow you to tell me things in your own time.

 

I will not put unreasonable expectations on you. I pray that I will remember the early days of our marriage. You are establishing your career and your family and they both need your attention. 

 

I’m on your side. I want you to feel loved in our home. To prove it, here is my best tip for when you meet the father of your bride:  shake his hand like a man. He might be 30 years older than you, but he has been working on this handshake since the day he heard the doctor say, “It’s a girl.”  One day I hope you will hear those words…only then will you begin to understand the depth of Trey’s love for his daughter. He has been her protector and provider and he has done an amazing job. He has encouraged her to become a woman of influence—in her family, her career, her church, her world. Because of him, she possesses strength of character and courage of convictions. There are no wimpy women in our home, thanks to Trey’s leadership. His daughters are not afraid of confrontation but won’t go looking for a fight. They are hospitable, gracious and fiercely loyal. They love Jesus. 

 

I am praying for you…that you will love the Lord with all of your heart, mind and strength, and that my daughter will be God’s greatest gift in your life, second only to His saving grace. She is going to love you so much. Thank you for loving her back. 

 

Love,

Wynne