By Lynna Clark
We’ve covered some very beautiful Scripture from the book of Ephesians. Things like His wonderful grace, how He looks at us as a masterpiece, and His boundless love. Next in line, chapter five, are the verses about husbands and wives. I think I’ll just skip that. Not that the instruction is unclear. No… it’s all right there for those who listen. But you’re reading insight from a girl who has messed up in this area so many times. By the grace of God, David and I have been married forty seven and a half years. Sometimes my stories about our life make us look pretty good. But I need to tell you. David married a very feisty girl with a horrible red-headed temper. And that’s okay. That’s who he fell in love with. But oh, was I headstrong. In fact, when he asked me to marry him, I didn’t hug him and shout, “Oh yes my love! A thousand times yes!” like in my novels. Instead I fetched a long yellow steno pad and said, “Let’s make a list of the pros and cons.”
True story.
I even took hold of the pencil and wrote on the con side while he answered with the pros. Bless his heart. I would name a reason why not, and he’d come back with a reason to say yes. It’s a wonder the man persisted. On our honeymoon we headed toward the mountains. He pulled into a Lemon Tree Inn. It looked mighty fancy to me. As we went to check in before my new husband could speak, I asked “How much?” The dignified lady behind the counter quoted the price and I blurted out, “Too much” and turned to walk away leaving David to watch me exit without him. Little blessings like that have endeared me to him throughout the years.
As it turns out, it’s not good to skip passages in Scripture that we struggle with. Down through the years, the Lord has softened my cold hard heart. And I’ve learned. And life has turned sweeter. David has grown too. It seems the Lord’s plan has always been for husbands to love their wives, no matter how headstrong they are; and for wives to show respect for their husbands, no matter how much they decide to spend on the honeymoon suite. I think we all want what Aretha cried out for from the depths of her soul.
R.E.S.P.E.C.T.
Throw in a lot of love and the pros will surely outweigh the cons.
