Never has our world been more divided than today. Politics, religion, sports and so it could go on. For the most part, many people think that being divided is a negative thing. And for many people it is.
However, after being married to the kind lady of the parsonage for almost 50 years, I discovered that a divided house can be a very happy house. It simply depends on how you are divided and what divides you. That makes a difference in the house.
Being married since I have been married does not make me an expert in this area. I’m just an expert on tolerance, which is why there’s always a smile on my face. Believe it or not, that smile is genuine.
All of this came into focus recently when we finally finished adding an office to our home. It has been in the works for at least four years. That’s where my “tolerance” comes in.
When I think that everything is ready to close, something happens that kicks and that can go a kilometer or two more.
Last year we were almost ready to finish when the coronavirus hit and put everything on hiatus. I don’t really like breaks unless it’s a cat or a dog.
So, except for a few bookshelves, the office has reached the point of completion.
This has brought our home into the Great Divide, which has brought much happiness to our home.
On the other side of our house is a room called the Craft Room, which is supervised by the Graceful Mistress of the Parish House. This is a room that, although I am allowed to enter, for various reasons, I do not.
I look inside that room and I see all kinds of nifty things that I have no idea in the world what they are. And trust me, I’m not going to ask what’s in that room.
So, at one end of the house, we have my wife’s Craft Room, and at the other end of the house, we now have the Shepherd’s Cave, of which I am the sole supervisor and administrator. It is the place where I am in control of everything.
When my wife is in her Craft Room on one side of the house, and I in my Pastor Cave on the other side, we are significantly divided but enthusiastically happy.
My wife does her thing in her room, I do mine in my room, and the two will never cross.
This great division has brought much happiness to our home.
The saying is true, what divides us can destroy us. But, if cleverly put together, what divides us can unite us on a different level.
She is happy in her room, I am happy in my room, and the house resonates with enthusiastic joy.
Every now and then my wife walks up to the door of Pastor Cave and says with great enthusiasm, “Look what I just did.” Then he shows me some crafts that he has made.
As I am not very cunning, what you show me is very delicious and I express to you my great joy at your cunning.
One of the essential aspects of a good marriage is knowing what the other person delights in.
For example, my wife loves crafts. I couldn’t spend five minutes in a craft room working on some craft. I would go absolutely crazy. I’d probably cut myself using some of them in your craft room.
My wife loves working in her craft room. And you know what they say, a delighted wife means a delighted husband.
I love when she is charmed, and that makes everything go well.
I am happy when I am in my Pastor Cave and I take great delight in what I am doing. I have everything at hand that I need to make me happy.
If our home were not so divided, we would not have all the pleasure that we now enjoy.
When we began our marriage escapades nearly 50 years ago, I had no idea that we would end up as wonderfully divided as we are today. If someone had told me that one day I would have their room to do what they like and I would have my room to do what I like, I would have thought they were crazy.
I enjoy crazy today.
The other night I mentioned to my wife while we were watching TV that someone at church had a birthday.
“Oh God,” she said enthusiastically, “I have to go and give you a birthday card.” And he went to make a birthday card.
It can be a thank you card that we should send to a family member or friend. And the good thing about all this is that we do not have to go out to buy cards of any kind or vacations.
It’s wonderful to have everything you need where you need it.
I read in the Bible the other day a wonderful verse: “Can two walk together if they do not agree?” (Amos 3: 3).
Amos must have been a husband to say something like this. The important thing is the focus of the agreement. At opposite ends of our home, my wife and I are in complete agreement.