I Am One Lucky Man

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
I love thee to the depth and breadth and height
My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight
For the ends of Being and ideal Grace.
I love thee to the level of everyday's
Most quiet need, by sun and candle-light.
I love thee freely, as men strive for Right;
I love thee purely, as they turn from Praise.
I love thee with a passion put to use
In my old griefs, and with my childhood's faith.
I love thee with a love I seemed to lose
With my lost saints, --- I love thee with the breath,
Smiles, tears, of all my life! --- and, if God choose,
I shall but love thee better after death.

This was published by Elizabeth Barrett Browning in 1850, and is most often attributed to William Shakespeare. It is an interesting poem, one which I only remember the opening line. But it is that opening line that I want to expound on today. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways. How do I love my bride Cheryl? And is it actually possible to really count the ways? I would venture to say only if I have an entire day or more to do so.

I've known many men in my forty-seven years that either say nothing about their brides, or they say too much. Griping, making jokes or belittling them in front of others, all the while wondering why their relationship with their wife isn't all it could be. Many years ago, I decided that there were things about Cheryl that I wanted to see change. (Okay we'd only been married a little while, and we all do it, so don't give me crap about it.)

Anyway, I began to look up Scriptures in the Bible about what God said a wife should be. I wrote those things down, and began to confess them daily about my bride. The funny thing is, that in about a month's time she never did change, but the way that I saw her did. Those things that I was saying about her to try and change her, actually wound up changing the way I was thinking about her, and then she was those things to me. God's Word is amazing that way.

I have been married to this girl for almost twenty-three years now, and we have been through our share of good times and bad, mostly good I'm thankful to say. There has never been a dull moment, as we have grown together as a couple, and I am truly one lucky man. You know the statement that "He sure did marry up." is very true in my instance, I married way beyond me. But the coolest thing I think is that God brought the two of us together, and He has walked with us and helped us to see the best in each other, and to help us correct those things that aren't the best.

In the words of Jack Nicholson's character in the movie "As Good As It Gets", Cheryl makes me want to be a better man. Here's the clip: