Snapshot: a candid look at my life.

Rule #1 of ballroom dancing: the man leads, the lady follows.

He initiates the dance. He starts the first step. And he escorts her off the floor when the dance is complete. If the gentleman is a bad leader, they will both look bad – off-rhythm – awkward. If the gentleman is a great leader, and the lady a great follower, she will shine. She will blossom. She will be the center of attention. Even though he leads, she will be the one to watch; she will radiate beauty and grace.

Drew taught me how to dance while we were dating. The learning process beautifully matched our courtship. He taught me how to carry myself, head up proudly, frame straight and elegant. He taught me how to trust him as a leader, not anticipating his moves or making demands of what would happen next. Now, when people compliment us on our dancing, I smile and say I don’t know what we’re doing – I simply hold on. Even though I answer tongue-in-cheek, I answer sincerely. Drew taught me how to follow – how to hold on to him as he leads.

This is, in many ways, how our marriage works today. I wasn’t always a willing follower, but learning to follow him was easy. He’s an incredible leader. He’s worth following. Of course we make decisions together, of course we talk through problems and Drew seeks my counsel, but at the end of the day I’m so thankful that he’s responsible for this dance. That he’s leading and I’m following. I can trust him to worry about the next beat. I don’t have to anticipate the next step. I can enjoy the moment as he presents me as radiant.

Ephesians 5:25-27 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.