A husband and wife were having some problems at home. They had argued and now they were giving each other the silent treatment. It lasted all weekend long, it was miserable.
On Monday, the husband had an important appointment and had to be at the airport on time to catch a flight. However, he didn’t want to be the first to break the silence. He was just too stubborn to do that. But he needed his wife’s help.
So, he finally wrote on a piece of paper, “Please wake me up at 5.00 a.m.”
The next morning the man woke up, looked at the clock and discovered it was 9.00 a.m!! He completely missed his flight. He was furious.
And he was about to hunt his wife down and read her the riot act for not waking him up.
But then he noticed a piece of paper on the bed. There, in his wife’s handwriting was written: “It is 5.00 A.M., wake up!”
What can you say? This couple had some serious problems, didn’t they? They needed help. But what they needed most was reconciliation. And that is exactly what we all need.
Thanks to Billy D. Strayhorn for sharing
Think of a time YOU were in a similar situation. Was it resolved with reconciliation? Or did life just go on without any?
JESUS DIDN’T HAVE TO AGREE WITH PEOPLE TO BE KIND TO THEM!
My Commentary:
Silence can feel like power in a relationship — but in truth, it becomes a wall no heart can climb. This couple wasn’t suffering from lack of communication; they were suffering from pride. One note answered another, but neither note spoke love.
Some years ago one woman in my parish came up to me on Labor Day. She told me she and her husband were married and lived together in the same house. But they had not spoken one word, not one word, to each other in nine months. Hard to believe!
Reconciliation isn’t about winning or proving a point. It’s about choosing humility over stubbornness, grace over grievance, and relationship over being right. In the end, every one of us needs the same thing they did — not victory, but mercy.
Please share today’s Message. Someone you know will have a happier Christmas.
