He was the odd one out. The big college football player committed to waiting for his wife. He was teased. He was mocked. But he didn’t waver. And he believed chivalry wasn’t dead.
Since we met, he’s always opened my door. He’s always pulled my seat out for me at dinner. He insisted on spending all of his college graduation money on a ring last year before he even got a job. Before he even knew me he gave me everything he had – even when it was weird, uncool, and just really hard.
I’m not here trying to make Matt out to be the perfect man. He’ll be the first to tell you that he isn’t perfect. Sometimes he forgets to brush his teeth and he isn’t that organized and he often cusses when road rage gets the best of him.
But you know what? He pursues His God and he pursued his wife before he ever knew my name. Just when I quit believing men like that existed after a hard break up, my now new husband knocked on the door of my tiny college apartment. And he revived my belief that strong men still exist, men can still stand by their word, men can still lead, and that daughters of the King are worth that. Not always deserving of it, but always worth it. Because “deserve” indicates earning, and trust me, I don’t always behave in ways that would earn me a gentleman. But worth? Worth is not something we can earn – it’s a God-given thing.
And I feel the need to revive that belief in you, sister friend. Don’t expect perfection, but please realize chivalry isn’t dead, that the struggles you’re facing with men or with your man don’t leave you hopeless, and that you don’t need a fairytale, you need faith.