A friend told me a true story that has stuck with him for over 20 years, and it goes something like this. A man and his wife, Cindy, were living life as usual. Going through their day, watching life pass by from this little rock we live on as it goes around the sun, year, after year, after year. Their marriage seemed healthy, and they loved each other to the max, but there was this one thing that drove him up the wall about Cindy. We all can have our pet peeves, and this was his; no matter how many decades he asked his wife to stop doing this one thing, she continued to do it, day after day, year after year. He struggled with how annoyed he felt at her, but nothing compared to the way he reacted on the 18th of November. Nearly every day of their married lives, she left her slippers right there in the middle of the floor, in front of the bathroom door, for him to trip over. No amount of effort could change her habit, and there those slippers were every morning, staring at him, mocking him, taunting him. It lit him up. Every. Single. Day. Except for the 18th of November.
On that fateful morning, he woke up and walked right past the bathroom door, and FINALLY, there were no slippers to trip him. That day, it was a slipper less doorway, free of the daily frustration that had harassed him all those years. But today he wanted nothing more in life than to trip over those silly slippers. He longed to see them there that day, because, on the 17th of November, Cindy passed away. Those slippers no longer annoy him, and it crushes him every single morning.
This little story wrecks me. It makes me think about that quote, “Enjoy the little things in life, for one day you’ll look back and realize they were the big things.”
So let me leave you with this encouragement; cherish your spouse. Love him/her with everything you have every day. Look past the trivial, the annoying, and the frustrating and love like today is your first and last day together.
Live It Out: answer this question instantly; don’t think about it. If you just found out that you only had a few hours left with your spouse, and those hours would be spent right where you are today, what would you do first? Would you simply hold your spouse close? Tell him/her how much you love and cherish them?, Take her/him on a date?, Let the world know how amazing she is or a million other things he does? Do it today. There’s no reason not to, and there are a billion reasons to do it.
By Kirk Cameron
Our Daily Bread
Be perfectly united in mind and thought…….1 Corinthians 1:10
The city of Texarkana sits squarely on the state border between Texas and Arkansas. The city of 70,000 inhabitants has two mayors, two city councils, and two police and fire departments. The cross-town sporting rivalry between high schools draws an uncommonly high attendance, reflecting the deep allegiance each has to their own state’s school. More significant challenges arise as well, such as disputes over the shared water system, governed by two sets of state laws. Yet the town is known for its unity despite the line that divides it. Residents gather annually for a dinner held on State Line Avenue to share a meal in celebration of their oneness as a community.
The believers in Corinth may not have drawn a line down their main thoroughfare, but they were divided. They’d been quarreling as a result of their allegiances to those who taught them about Jesus: Paul, Apollos, or Cephas (Peter). Paul called them all to oneness “in mind and thought” (1 Corinthians 1:10), reminding them it was Christ who was crucified for them, not their spiritual leaders.
We behave similarly today, don’t we? We sometimes oppose even those who share our singularly important belief—Jesus’ sacrifice for our wrongdoings—making them rivals instead of allies. Just as Christ Himself is not divided, we, as His earthly representation—His body—mustn’t allow differences over nonessentials to divide us. Instead, may we celebrate our oneness in Him.
By Kirsten Holmberg
REFLECT & PRAY:
God, help me to remain focused on You and Your sacrifice for Your people. May I not be distracted by the less important issues but call others to oneness as a community of faith.
Does This Ever Happen To You?
Does this ever happen to you? You are going to have a date night this weekend for dinner. You have the baby sitter scheduled (if you need one). That evening, you are both getting ready. It has been a hectic week and you both have been looking forward to a night out for just the two of you. The sitter arrives, you are both ready, and you pull the car out of the driveway. Everything has gone perfectly except that you never decided where to go for dinner. You ask your spouse where they would like to go and they say, “I don’t care.” Your spouse then asks you the same question and your answer is the same. Then you both ask, “What kind of food do you want” and both get the same “I don’t care” response. One of you mentions a place and the other says, “I’m really not in the mood for that,” and 10 minutes into a date you both looked forward to, you are both frustrated with each other and with yourself.
This has happened to us. It used to happen often. Usually it was the business of life that we let get in the way of doing a little planning. We would get frustrated and then start blaming each other. Many times we would have turned around and just gone back home but didn’t know what to tell the babysitter! So we came up with this idea. It was our plan for when we did not take the time to plan. Each of us wrote down five restaurants that we liked on small strips of paper. Then without looking at each other’s papers, we put them into an envelope and then into the glove compartment of the car. We agreed together that on a night we did not make a plan, we would draw one of the slips of paper out and that is where we would go. No questions asked. It was about two weeks later when we pulled out the first strip. Guess what? It worked!
Today’s One Thing:
Each of you write down five restaurants you like on separate slips of paper and put them all in an envelope. Now the next time you do not know where to go to eat, draw one out and go there!
If you like these series of tips and want to receive your One Thing Email please sign up at http://awesomemarriage.com/onething (It’s free!)
The WLCC service is set up to accommodate everyone during the pandemic:
• Sunday Service: Starts @ 9:00 AM Sharp at Old 690 Brewery at 15670 Ashbury Church Rd, Purcellville, VA
We have drive-in service where you can stay in your car, watch the service, and listen to Pastor Ray by tuning your car radio to 1610 AM.
• We also have numerous tables, spaced appropriately, for anyone wishing to attend the outdoor service in a more personable atmosphere.
• In the event of rain we will move under the covered roof portion of the building.
• WLCC continues to stream Sunday Service at 9:00 AM on Facebook and YouTube.
Wednesday Evening Study Group is on Summer vacation.
Western Loudoun Community Church is about being the church — not just some religious exercise. We are about fulfilling the Great Commission and living the Great Commandment.
Come see what all the laughter and joy is about – We’ll save you a seat.
