As they anxiously sat at the dinner table with their parents, the young couple simultaneously blurted out, “We can’t wait to get married!” Without hesitation both of their parents questioned, “You can’t wait?” “Even more,” said the young lady’s father, “If you can’t, I would seriously question if what attracts you to each other is real love.” Unfortunately, many couples enter into marriages due to physical attraction, a pleasant personality, or stability and security.

Often times, concentration on one of these single factors leads to an impulsive marriage. So, the young lady’s father asked his soon to be son-in-law, “Can you count the ways that you love my daughter?”

On this Valentine’s Day husbands and wives will express their love by showering each other with lavish gifts. However, unfortunately every day is not Valentine’s Day for married couples in Alabama. As a state, we rank 5th in the nation for the highest divorce rates. Why? In times of pressure, what once brought couples together seems to drive them apart. When there are problems within a relationship, many husbands and wives are quarrelling instead of trying to deal with the real issues. The power of love seems to be absent and when there is no love the marriage quickly disintegrates. Love is as powerful as air and food. Without love, marriages will not and cannot survive. The same couples who say they cannot wait to get married too often are the same couples who will one day say they cannot wait to get divorced.

A distraught wife went to a minister full of hatred toward her husband. She said to the minister, “I do not only want to divorce my husband, but before I divorce him I want to get even with him and make him hurt as much as he has hurt me.” The minister agreed to help the bitter wife. He instructed her to go home and act as if she really loved her husband. She had to tell him how much he meant to her. The minister told her that her husband would really be hurt if she followed his advice. With revenge in her eyes, she left the minister’s office excited about the hurt she would bring to her once knight in shining armor. For two months she showered her husband with love and kindness, she listened and shared. When she did not return to the minister’s office, he called and asked, “Are you ready now to go through with the divorce?” “Divorce,” she stunningly responded, “never! I discovered I really do love him.” Amazingly, during the waiting period she rediscovered the love she had for her husband. Love became more than words, it became actions. So, think about it, do your actions demonstrate your love for your spouse? Make every day count.