Never has our world been more divided than today. Politics, religion, sports and so on I 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 Gracious Lady of the Parsonage for almost 50 years, I have discovered that a house divided can be a very happy house. It just depends on how divided you are and what divides you. That makes all the difference in the house.
Being married that long does not make me an expert in this area. I’m just a patience expert, which is why there is always a smile on my face. Believe it or not, that smile is genuine.
This all 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 into play.
Just when I think everything is ready to close, something happens that can kick the road a mile or two down the road.
Last year we were almost ready to finish when the coronavirus hit and put everything on hold. I don’t really like pauses unless it’s on a cat or a dog.
So, except for a few bookcases, the office has reached the point of completion.
This has led our house to 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 overseen by the Graceful Mistress of the Parsonage. This is a room that, although I am allowed to enter, for various reasons, I do not.
I look into that room and I see all kinds of sneaky things that I have no idea what they are. And believe 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 Pastor’s Cave, of which I am the sole supervisor and manager. 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 am in my Pastor Cave on the other side, we are significantly divided but enthusiastically happy.
My wife does her thing in her bedroom, I do mine in my bedroom, and our paths will never cross.
This great divide has brought much happiness to our home.
The saying is true, what divides us can destroy us. But, 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 rings with enthusiastic happiness.
From time to time, my wife comes to the door of the Shepherd’s Cave and says enthusiastically, “Look what I just did.” She then shows me some craft that she has made.
Since I am not very cunning, what she shows me is very delicious, and I express my great pleasure in her cunning.
One of the essential aspects of a good marriage is knowing what the other person delights in.
For example, my wife delights in crafts. I couldn’t spend five minutes in a craft room working on some craft. I would go completely crazy. She would probably cut me using some of them in her craft room.
My wife loves working in her craft room. And you know what they say, a haunted wife means a haunted husband.
I’m delighted when she’s delighted, and that makes everything fit.
I am happy when I am in my Shepherd’s Cave and I take great delight in what I am doing. I have everything at my fingertips that I need to do to make me happy.
If our home were not so divided, we would not have all that delight that we enjoy now.
When we began our marital 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 she would have her room to do what she likes to do and I would have my room to do what I like to do, 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 my,” she said enthusiastically, “I’ve got to go and make them a birthday card.” And she went to make a birthday card.
It can be a thank you card that we need to send to a family member or friend. And the good thing about all this is that we don’t have to go out and buy any cards of any kind or holidays.
It’s so 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, except they be agreed?” (Amos 3:3).
Amos must have been a husband to say something like that. What is important is the focus of the deal. At opposite ends of our house, my wife and I are in complete agreement.
