This morning my wife told me I snored. I thanked her, because here is a woman who at some point in the night made a decision to let me live.
Have you ever been at a wedding gone wrong? Here are some actual wedding happenings.
When the pastor asked for the rings, the best man pulled out some Grey Poupon mustard and asked, “Wouldn’t you prefer some Grey Poupon?” Ah yes, there’s nothing like a little mustard during the vows.
The uncle of the bride couldn’t attend so he sent a request asking someone to read 1 John 4:18: “There is no fear in love; instead perfect love drives out fear…” Sadly, the reader made a mistake, stood up and read John 4:18: “For you have had five husbands, and the one you now have is not your husband…”
One couple asked to write their own vows. The groom insisted he didn’t need to, he’d be fine. His exact words of love and devotion to his bride were, “Um, you’re my fishing buddy and uh, we make trips to the grocery store together, and, um, I love you.”
Well, the truth is, I made my share of blunders early in our marriage. 1 Peter 3:3-4 instructs guys to be good husbands, to honour our wives and delight in them. It instructs wives to cultivate inner beauty, the gentle, gracious kind that God delights in. Ruth Graham once said, “It is my job to love Billy. It is God’s job to make him good.”
My wife lived those words. She loved me. And her godly behaviour softened me. Two words in particular got to me. They weren’t, “Stop snoring,” or “Mow grass.” I still remember where I was standing when she said them. Exhausted from running after runny-nosed kids, she somehow found the strength to say, “Thank you. Thanks for working so hard to provide for us.” I felt like the clouds had parted in an Oregon winter. I said, “Well, thank you. For everything you do for the kids and me. I’d be toast without you.”
Years ago, during the exchange of rings, the preacher said, “You may now put the fing on his ringer.” Everyone began to snicker so he said, “Just do it!”
Each day in all of our relationships we do well to remember that gratitude is the richest soil in which to get the joy growing. So, let’s just do it.
