For Better or... Bitter?

It seems the cold virus is up in the air. I got sick also these past few days. It reminded me of an article entitled “The Seven Years of the Married Cold.” It talked about the reaction of a husband to his wife’s colds. It went like this:

The first year: “Honey, I’m really worried about my baby girl. You’ve got a bad sniffle. I’m putting you in the hospital this afternoon for a general checkup and a good rest. I know the food’s lousy, but I’ll be bringing your meals in from Alfredo’s. I’ve already got it all arranged with the hospital.”

The second year: “Listen, darling, I don’t like the sound of that cough. I called Dr. Villanueva to rush over here. Now you go to bed like a good girl, please? Just for papa.”

The third year: “Maybe you’d better lie down, honey; nothing like a little rest when you feel bad. I’ll bring you something to eat. Have you got any instant noodles?”

The fourth year: “Now look, dear, be sensible. After you’ve fed the kids, washed the dishes, and finished the floor, you’d better lie down.”

The fifth year: “Why don’t you take a couple of cold tablets?”

The sixth year: “I wish you’d just gargle or something, instead of sitting around all evening barking like a dog!”

The seventh year: “Ano ba yan!?! Stop sneezing! Are you trying to give me pneumonia?” (Adapted from The Fulfilled Family by Dr. John MacArthur, Jr.)

Whatever happened to the “in sickness or in health” vow? Are we better... or bitter?

This month, in our series on Ephesians, we will look into marriage. There are three institutions that God ordained: the family, the government and the church. The first one He established is the institution of marriage. The strength of the church and the nation depends upon the strength of the family. Thus, we need to look into the blueprint that God’s word laid out for us. Feel free to invite family and friends.

“Unless the LORD builds the house, its builders labor in vain.”(Psalm 127:1a, New Int’l Version)

P.S. I would like to thank all of you who helped make last Sunday’s “Dynamic Choices for Success” with Francis Kong successful. God richly bless you!

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