Sometimes the smallest habits speak the loudest in a marriage. Here are five little things my husband does that have made a lasting difference in my life.

It’s almost Valentine’s Day again. Although I tend to fall into the indifferent camp when it comes to Valentine’s, I do like to write posts in honor of the occasion. Don’t ask me why. It’s just one of my personality’s ironies, I guess.

Anyway, on to the heart of the matter. This year I want to recognize some of the things my husband does that really make me feel loved.

There are so many things Randy does that I’m super thankful for. It would be a very long list if I put everything here, so I’ve focused on five small, important things.

Things My Husband Does That I Love

#1 – He’s purposeful in his dealings with other women.

Randy doesn’t put himself in situations that would make it easy to be unfaithful to me in thought, emotion, or action. He won’t eat lunch alone with a female co-worker. He won’t drive on a business trip with alone with one—even if would be cost-effective. He avoids shows or scenes that objectify women.

Some man is probably thinking, That’s what you think. My response: I know I can trust Randy to be faithful to me because he’s built that trust in the little things.

A woman can tell these things. The man who checks out the waitress every time she walks away isn’t fooling anyone. The man who goes on about how attractive that actress is on his favorite TV show isn’t building trust. He’s tearing it down. And a man who treats emotional and visual unfaithfulness lightly is far more likely to cross bigger lines.

Randy understands that faithfulness in thought and emotion matter just as much as faithfulness in action.

#2 – He still opens the door for me.

I’m a big believer that you can see a lot in the small things (in case you haven’t guessed already). I’ve seen in my own life that if you’re faithful in a little, you’ll be faithful in a lot.

Randy is faithful in opening the door for me, fixing me a glass of juice at the end of the day, or kissing me goodbye in the morning. He listens when I talk, gives me the benefit of the doubt, and thinks the best of me.

All these things assure me he’ll be here for the big things—the death of a parent, the disappointments of infertility.

#3 – He only speaks well of me to others.

There’s so much to be said of how others speak about you. I once saw a quote—I can’t remember where—that says:

I can tell a lot about a person by what they choose to see in me.

That’s so true.

Randy isn’t blind to my faults. He just chooses not to focus on them, which does more for me than I can express.

In this way especially, Randy expresses the love of Christ to me. I understand the love God has for me better because of Randy’s acceptance and love of me.

#4 – He sharpens me.

Although Randy doesn’t focus on my flaws, he does hold me accountable. If I say something unkind or thoughtless, he calls me out on it.

But privately. And lovingly.

He brings out the best in me. He makes me want to be good. To do good. He helps me in my walk with Christ.

#5 – He loves God.

Randy helps me in my walk with Christ because he’s chasing after God too.

He doesn’t depend on me to be his “good” or on the straight and narrow. Yes, I’m part of his accountability, but his faith isn’t dependent on me.

He’d be walking the Christian faith even if I weren’t here.

A Bonus

I love that Randy isn’t all about Valentine’s Day either. Not in an I-don’t-want-to-go-to-the-effort kind of way, but because he shows his love every day. And honestly, our anniversaries mean far more to us.

How about you? What do you love about your spouse? Do you celebrate Valentine’s? whether you have a spouse or not this holiday, I hope you know how loved you are (John 3:16).

Additional Resources

• 10 Little Things To Do For My Spouse from HISsparrowBlog
• How Much Work Does Marriage Take? from HISsparrowBlog
• Dear Valentine: 5 Quick Messages for the Single from HISsparrowBlog

I frequently link up with the following: Grace & Truth with Embracing the Unexpected, Instaencouragements with Patsy and her crew, Let’s Have Coffee with Joanne Viola, and Blessing Bloggers with Deb Wolf.