Can I tell you that immediately the angel goes silent at that point and all I hear is the little demon whispering things like, “How dare he ask you that. He KNOWS you hate it when he says that. Who does he think he is anyway? Sure you are to be subject to one another but you don’t have to be a doormat. Give him a piece of your mind. He deserves it. He does and you know it!”
The battle is on. It isn’t pretty either. There is no one on the face of the earth who can get under my skin like hubby can. No one! I believe it is true that the opposite of love is not hate, but apathy! I have found myself more frustrated and angry with hubby than anyone else on the face of the earth; yet, next to Jesus and my sons, I can’t say that I love anyone more either! Marriage. It isn’t for cowards to paraphrase Dobson’s saying of parents.
I know that the day I can smile, let go of my angst, turn and look lovingly into hubby’s eyes, and give him a real kiss after he just totally and completely irritated me, I will have arrived! How long do you think? We’ve been married just shy of twenty-four years. Will I be able to do this after we have been married forty-eight years-double where we are now? What do you think? Can it happen at all? Will I ever attain it? LOL!
I can honestly say there have been few times I have managed to do this. Not many mind you. If I can simply avoid retaliation I figure I am making some progress. BUT there have been a few times where I actually followed Christ’s words and returned blessing for curses. And do you know what? It was sweet! Really sweet! It goes a long way to peace-making. It goes a long way toward harmony in the marriage. I felt good. He felt the heaping of burning coals on His head. (Which, by the way, should NOT be your motivation to return blessings for curses, but it is a side benefit.) Then we made our peace and all was well. God sure is a smart one!
