I read a story about a couple that had been married for ten years. During those years the husband had not
remembered their anniversary for nine years. But on their tenth anniversary he went to the local "Hallmark" store and bought
a beautiful card, the face of which had what seemed to be an appropriate sentiment. The morning of their anniversary he proudly
handed her the card. She was excited until she opened the card. She turned on her husband and told him in an angry voice it
was not her birthday and she felt that he didn’t love her.
With that he became defensive and told her that if that was the way she felt, he was going to the office and
he stormed out.
Both of them were hurt and felt love slipping away.
She should have looked past the mistake and focused on his intention. Yes, he should have taken the time to
make sure the card was appropriate; but his intention was to make her happy not to hurt her. He should not have stormed out;
but should have swallowed his pride and made an appropriate apology.
I know that if I had made this kind of mistake, my wife would have reacted differently. She would have been
pleased that I had finally remembered our anniversary. She would have commented on the lovely face of the card. Then when
she had opened the card, she would have burst out laughing, put her arms around my neck, kissed me, then she would have said
something like, "You didn’t open the card, did you, Lover Boy?" showing me the inside where it said, "Happy Birthday."
I would have been appropriately embarrassed and would have apologized profusely. This would have become a
running gag for us over the years and I just might have gone out of my way to find a similar card for another anniversary.
We are all human and we all make mistakes, some small and some pretty big. But if we allow love to rule us,
we will always be able to see the humor in those mistakes and look beyond the error to the intention.
Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another. Romans
12:10 (NKJV)
Let all that you do be done with love. 1 Corinthians 16:14 (NKJV)
