My boyfriend lets me cheat on him. 
At first glance, in the society we surround ourselves in, this makes a heart skip a beat. But, Thomas encourages this.  As much as I want to think that my best friend is perfect, the world is designed uniquely so that he will fail me; resulting in having to turn to Christ to be fulfilled instead of my relationships on Earth. If I was not aloud to date outside of Thomas, it would make our relationship difficult to maintain ourselves. I spend time with the Lord, I talk to Him more frequently. It’s only because I am encourage to date Christ that I can enjoy a relationship with Thomas. We both understand that we only know how to love because we are loved. We have a prime example of what it means to put others before yourself. 

Because I have been “cheating” on Thomas, getting to know my Lord & my friend on a deeper level, I can now recognize my gratefulness for a man that exemplifies Christ-likeness in my life.

Here are the four that make you more:

1.Whim
“Why, Thomas?”
“Why not, Rachel?”
Thank you for living out our calling to be spontaneous, for living in the moment with an eternal perspective. Thank you for showing me what it is like to be obedient and flexible and to leave our own plans for something better – despite my Type A personality (which includes an itinerary of my day)- and to enjoy the moment that we have been given. Thank you for simultaneously teaching me how to rid of my anxiety to live in a memory. 
 

2.Dare
Thank you for accepting challenges- me, being the biggest. Thank you for not giving up on me when I didn’t see my own potential, for pushing me towards challenges of my own. Thank you for challenging yourself, specifically through learning to wakeboard, learning chords on the guitar for us to sing to, etc. It has given me proof that through trials and determination comes beauty and admiration of something that once was nothing. 
 

3.Ministry
Thank you for your service. Thank you for being a role model in my home when you spend time with my mom and brothers. Thank you for spending time with Hamilton & Landon in order to show them the result of a matured man of God. Thank you for setting an example for me as a Young Life leader, spending time with your friends in high school and being completely selfless.
 

4.Knack
Thank you Jesus for Thomas’s natural ability and talent for everything. Water sports, snowboarding, navigation, skiing, shopping for women’s clothing, guitar, piano, reverse driving, engineering. Everything you can imagine turns into more than I can fathom. 

Thomas, thank you for pursuing me through my weakness, then pointing me to His strength, showing me my imperfection is his beauty, for telling me you admire my flaws, and for not trying to fix them, for honking at me in the middle of Washington D.C. & finally, for showing me what it’s like to be Jesus in our everyday lives.