Because you took the time...

Forgive me if my words are jumbled and out of order. There are so many things to thank you for, Mom and Dad, I don't even know where to start.

Because you took the time to listen to God....

You had every opportunity to say "No" when God called you to Kenya with a baby, and every reason to turn around when you were expecting me. But you stuck it out, you had your second born in a place unfit for a newborn. And you taught me through that that I need to listen to God when He calls, no matter the situation. Especially since it usually isn't convenient or clean.

Because you took the time to go to church....

I often didn't want to go to church on Sunday, let alone two times. But each Sunday, rain or shine, snow or sleet, we were there in the pew. Praising God and fellowshipping with fellow believers. I know it would have been easier to stay home when we were young, to give in to our complaints of wanting to sleep a little longer, but because you took the time, I now know what faithfulness looks like

Because you took the time for each other...

Every marriage has its ups and downs, but through each situation life brought us to, you brought each other through. From my point of view, you came closer in hard times, and rejoiced together in happy times. Because you took the time to build a solid foundation, I know what a happy, healthy marriage looks like. Dad, because of the way you treated Mom, I knew what I was looking for when I found Paul, and while he is the love of my life, you will always be the first great man in my life. Mom, because of how you treated Dad, how you supported and loved him and helped make his dreams come true, I know how to support and love Paul. Thank you.

Because you took the time to talk to me....

It's much easier to leave the hard conversations for school or Sunday school, or to let us hear things from our friends, but because you took the time to have those hard conversations, to endure the embarrassment we both felt, I waited for Paul and avoided so much heartache, I didn't let my morals fail me in high school when drinking meant you were part of the "in" crowd, and I had a better idea of how to pick my friends.

Because you took the time to live out your faith....

You were, are, and I know always will be an amazing example of what it means to have a close and intimate relationship with Christ. Because you took the time to live out your faith, and to let the spirit work through you, I have the promise of eternal life. I can't ever thank you enough for that.

Because you took the time to believe in me...

I'm proud of the woman I am. You both always encouraged, pushed, and led me in the direction you knew I should be going. You invested in us when, looking back now, I know we didn't necessarily have the extra money. You let me follow my dreams, even when it took me to Europe for four months, or Colorado for the summer. You put your own feelings aside and let me be the person I felt I needed to be. That must have been so hard. But because of that, I am right where I want to be in life, and I love you both all the more for it.

Because you took the time to be the parents I needed...

Mom and Dad, because you took the time, because you showed me what unconditional love looks like, because you made the right decisions, not the easy ones, and because you listened to God's calling in your own lives and in mine, I am who I am. Thank you for taking the time.