"Love Letter" from Rev. Joshua Rodriguez

Happy Anniversary, FGAL!  Thank you for sharing life-changing stories that inspire us to become all that God has called us to be.

A Love Letter to my wife, lover and best friend Paula

When I think about you Paula, I am reminded of the contributions made by the first lady in the history of the world, Mrs. Adam. She was designed to be a helpmate. She was equipped to bring out the best in her companion, Mr. Adam.  Mr. Adam had been a single bachelor for some time. He was extremely gifted. He had named all of the animals and plant life.  He worked hard and would come home to no one but his shadow.  He had no helpmate around to tell him when to eat, when to take a shower, go to bed, clean his room, take out the garbage, pay the bills or when to turn off the television. He had no one to encourage him, no one to lift him up, no one to tell him when to pray.  Day by day, he continued to build his gifts, but was absolutely unable to build his character all by himself.  This is why God said and I paraphrase: “It is not good for this boy to be alone.” When Mrs. Adam stepped into the picture Mr. Adam was able to reach new dimensions and heights. His character was now able to sustain his talent and gifts, all thanks to his helpmate, Mrs. Adam.  God has used you to make me the man that I am today. Your selflessness, sacrifice and persistence have contributed to my growth, maturity and development.

Paula, when I think about you, I am also reminded of the structure, fortitude, resilience and strength that you bring to my life and our home.  Genesis 2:22-23 says: “Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man.23 The man said “This is now bone of my bones
 and flesh of my flesh; 
she shall be called ‘woman,’
 for she was taken out of man.” What does “bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh” mean?  It means that marriage is like a building. The bone that comes from the man to edify the woman has powerful properties that allow us to understand God’s design for marriage.  Bone structure is very similar to reinforced concrete that is used to make a building or a bridge. When the building or bridge is first assembled, an initial frame that contains long steel rods is put in place. Cement is then poured around these steel rods. The rods (iron bars) and the cement form a tight union, producing a structure that is strong and resilient enough to withstand some rocking motion while maintaining strength. Without the steel rods (iron bars), the cement would be brittle and fracture with only minor movement. Without the cement, the steel rods would have inadequate support and would bend. The same structure is true of bone. The steel rods that support the building are collagen rods in bone. Paula, the aforementioned which I learned from an article titled “Understanding the Structure of Bones” describes what you bring to our marriage and home: strength, resiliency, elasticity, adequate support, balance, and durability.  

I thank God for the privilege of knowing you for more than 30 years and for the

opportunity to be your husband for the last 23 years.  You were, are and will always be the girl of my dreams. Your smile makes my day complete. I believe that when we both turn 80 we will continue to do and enjoy what we love to do now: fly out for dinner in Paris and return home after 24 hours, go on 48 hour dates in Milan, Italy and the Hard Rock Hotel in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic.  Paula, I love you more than words can say. Fred Flintstone had Wilma, Barney Rubble had Betty, Ricky Ricardo had Lucy, Sonny had Cher and I, well, “I got you babe”. I will never let you go and I will never break the promises that I made to you on May 11, 1991 at 10:30am before hundreds of friends and loved ones. Te amo hoy y te amare por siempre!