Wind And Sunshine

My spouse and I are coming up 21 years together the 12th of this month and to be honest, it doesn’t seem to be that long. Paula may want to argue that, but I’ll try to avoid the confrontation. Like all families, we’ve had our ups and downs, but our faith always carries us through and keeps us aimed in the right direction, for that I’m thankful. We’re a low maintenance couple, happy with, and proud of, the possessions we’ve been blessed with to steward for a short while. We’re the couple songs are written about. We were literally two ships passing in the night, running our own course of life without the love and security of a helpmate. I’m far from being a romantic and Paula has a hard time making a decision about anything, so I guess when she insisted we go to the judges chambers to get married, I must have said or done something right. We have no debt to speak of, although she still works because health insurance would be difficult for me to obtain since my illness a few years back. But, not too many years from now we’ll be “boomer seniors” when the whole insurance scene completely flips, throwing life into a brand new fit of turmoil. Paula will watch over that, and maybe I’ll write a book.
The children begged for a hamster, and after the usual fervent vows that they alone would care for it, they got one. They named it Danny. Two months later, when mom found herself responsible for cleaning and feeding the creature, she located a prospective new home for it. The children took the news of Danny’s imminent departure quite well, though one of them remarked, “He’s been around here a long time – we’ll miss him.” “Yes” mom replied, “But he’s too much work for one person, and since I’m that one person, I say he goes!” Another child offered, “Well, maybe if he wouldn’t eat so much and wouldn’t be so messy, we could keep him.” But mom was firm. “It’s time to take Danny to his new home now”, she insisted. “ Go get his cage.” With one voice , in a tearful outrage the children shouted, “Danny? We thought you said daddy!!”
[Genesis 2: 19-25] One day the wind and the sun were arguing about which of them was strongest. “Look” said the wind, “I’ll prove to you that I’m more powerful. See that man down on earth? Let’s each exercise our power, and whoever can make the man shed his coat fastest will be acknowledged as the most powerful.” “Fine” the sun replied, smiling. “You go first.” So the wind howled as he huffed and puffed. Pulling out all the stops, the harder he tried, the more the man pulled his coat closer to him to shield himself from the cold. Finally the wind died down, exhausted from his efforts. Then the sun began to shine, gently but persistently, until the man began to unbutton his jacket. Before long, he had shed not only his coat, but rolled up his long sleeves as well. The wind had to admit he was beaten. Selfishness and unkindness are like that wind. While there’s a certain kind of power in them, they do not have the power of love and kindness, which can open the hearts of people just as the suns’ rays can cause people to shed their overcoats. I can’t speak for anyone else, but I can honestly say this. I know I’ve blown a lot of wind in the direction of my wife over the years, but what I got in return was mostly sunshine. I’m thrilled that my God is big and powerful enough to put me with a good woman whose sunshine has shed me of some pretty selfish ways. I’m also thrilled that the sunshine of Jesus’ love has shed me of the sins I’ve committed against my God.