Sunday, December 19, 2021

What is happening to you?

 After last Sunday, you held your breath whenever your wife started talking about things. In the back of your mind was this thought that she might remember what you said after church last week. In a moment of weakness, you said you might go to church with her again. But she never mentioned it again. But it was on your mind. You thought about it again and again.

What did you do with the invitation? Did you throw it away? No you didn't. In fact, as the week went on, you picked up the invitation again and again. On Thursday evening, after dinner, in the quiet of the evening, you sat down at the kitchen table with a cup of coffee, you picked it up, turned it over in your hand, looked at it and...

...flipped open the flap on the envelope, reached inside and pulled out the invitation from inside the envelope. Holding it into your hand, it was upside down. As you are ready to turn it over, your wife walked into the kitchen. "Hey hon, I was thinking that after church Sunday we would go out to lunch with (and she named a couple that you knew would be at church because she always said they were there). Since you are coming with me, I won't have to come home to pick you up." 

Turning and looking at her, you realize what she just said. She no longer was wondering if you were going to go to worship with her. She just assumed it. Well, you did say that you might go with her. But you said "might." You didn't say "would." But she heard that you were going with her. She obviously was thinking about it as much as you were but just hadn't said anything about it. It had been perculating in your thoughts all week. But did you really want to go two weeks in a row? If you did that, would she expect it again and again? What if you didn't want to keep going? What if you didn't like what the preacher said? What if he said something about one of things you did that you knew wasn't right but you liked doing it anyway? You might just get ticked off. Then not only would you be upset with church, but you will have your wife upset with you too. You will have it coming and going. What were you going to do?

"Have you talked with them yet?" you asked, setting the invitation down on the table. "I was thinking..." you started, when she said, "Yes. They said they would like it." Sighing, you realize that she has covered all the bases. What could you do? Say no? Really? She would be so disappointed. "Well, I guess it sounds OK to me. It would be easier to go out with them if I went to church with you. I might as well." What did you just say? Did you just agree to go to church again? What is up with that? Are you getting weak in your old age? Why did you say that? It did feel right, but still...

"Hey, you opened your invitation," you wife says. "Who is it from?" Looking at her, you respond, "I was just about to find out." Reaching for the invitation, you pick it up and turn it over.

"Well, look at that," you say. "It's from..."

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