How a woman handles a man's heart...

My wife wrote me a wonderful love note today.  If I don't put it on here, it will get lost in the shuffle and I will "little note, nor long remember it" to quote Lincoln in his Gettysburg Address.  

She is the crowned jewel of my life and her words of affirmation and strength have buoyed me today as they have the last 15 years of my life.  So much of who I am today is directly related to how she handles my heart as a man.  I can only hope other men are blessed to have someone speak into their soul like she does mine...

I found this on my computer this morning when I went downstairs to get breakfast ready for the girls...

"Good Morning, Lover…

It’s kinda funny cuz as my fingers tickle the keyboard you are staring at me on your screen savor…are you flirting?

I have enjoyed you so much the last few weeks.  It’s felt like a new romance.  It’s just fun to casually hang out even for you to run errands with me…it’s like you want to be with me anyway.  You’ve made me feel confident, loved, desired, sexy, irreplaceable, fought for, all the things my heart needs right now. Thank you for loving me like this.

It’s so true that when a woman is loved well she will desire to honor and respect her husband.  I don’t want to honor you just because you love me well, but because you are honorable.  And thankfully I don’t have to think hard.  

I honor you because you are a man of integrity, one whom I fully trust.  Your passion for God, me, the girls, life and people draw me to you.  You have fought for my heart in a way I’ve never seen a man fight even if that has meant you fighting with me.  Wow, am I ever so glad you push past your fear of my reactions (cuz I know how ugly that has been) to love me deeper, confront my insecurities and call out my heart to live fully. You have been a beautiful reflection of God the Father to me, not only in watching you with the girls, but in the way you make me laugh so hard I cry, in how you so carefully explore me (heart, soul and body), how you cuddle me for hours, how you calm my worries and fears, you hurt when I hurt, you are strong when I’m weak…you even did weight watchers with me and kept doing it when I caved. 

God made me strong…strong-willed anyway, and He certainly knew I would need a much stronger man.  Your strength is most assuredly outstanding among all men.  You’ve shown your strength in how you saved yourself for only me to have, and with me for me not to have until we were married.  You’ve shown strength in how you fight for the hearts of our daughters.  They are so proud to be yours. Your strength is displayed in your tears and your contagious laugh.  I see it in the way you so eloquently and carefully speak truth to the heart that wonders and wanders.  Your heart is so good, and I love it.

There are so many outside of just me and the girls that have been lucky enough to have experienced the strength you have to offer.  You have fought for countless people over their addictions, their insecurities, their failing marriages.  I love how you love not just us, but others too.   But let me be loud and let me be clear for the world to know..."He is mine."  I am yours and you are mine.  You had me at, “I was arrested last night” and I have been weak over you since.   I love you, I adore you and I consider you the best gift God has ever given me.  He must really love me."

This is so good for my heart.  I needed to hear these things this morning.  Any man that says he doesn't need this has gotten so good at lying that he believes his own fibs.  Men crave the affirmation and validation of their wives something fierce.  And on this day, I'm letting it seeps into cracks inside my heart that have needed filling lately.  

I love you, babe.