This morning I remembered a mad conversation, between a young couple, I overheard in a burger joint a few years ago. And they were parents of a couple of young kids. I know that because the kids were in the booth with them. So, the sad part is how the kids had to listen.
And that’s the sad part because of what those kids were learning.
I hoped and wished one of them would actually stop and think about the words gushing out their mouths. And I wished they could see the looks on their kids’ faces. AND those little faces reminded me of my younger brother and me. We went through a bunch of that, too. Mom and Dad exchanging loud insults and accusations. Dad slamming doors. Mom crying.
Then, after the yelling and crying phase, my brother and I endured most of 10 years of train rides from Texas to Kansas and back every year. At the end of a school year, our Dad and stepmom put us on a train, in Houston, that took us to Kansas City. And we lived in Kansas for the summer. Then, toward the end of summer, our Mom put us on the train back to Houston.
(funny side story: Mom had two more kids. And when they got old enough to talk, they thought the Kansas City train station was Texas. Because that’s where Mom dropped us off. And she told them she had to send us back to Texas. Ah, good times.)
Anyway…
Let’s get back to the young couple.
Their argument lasted for the entire 20 minutes or so, I was there. At least they kept the volume to a level where they didn’t stir up the whole restaurant. I could just see that turning into a viral video from the perspective of dozens of phones in the joint. I’ve witnessed way too many of those scenes in recent years. Bet you have, too.
The sad part about most of those arguments is how they just continue day after day. But once in a great while, men and women actually work things out and end up with a stronger love. And it’s almost always because of one thing.
They set aside their selfishness. And they decide to follow what God says about love. When they do that, it turns out right. It’s not the easiest thing to do. I know too well. But it’s always the right thing to do.
If you find yourself in that position, not where you’d like to be with your loved one, stop trying to win. Just let God in and let love win. Especially if you have kids who see and hear you. And if you do, share this little rhyme with them to plant some love in them, too.
The Last Word
Keep a bolt of lightning in your brain
And a jar of honey in your heart.
Let love be the last word from your lips
Whether you’re together or apart.
Lightning is your passion over pain.
Honey is your holy hope within.
Send those feelings through your fingertips
And remember, always let love win. © 2020
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