Settled Before Sleep

Many years ago, on a hot south Texas afternoon, my wife and I both said “I do.” Last week, we celebrated the fact that, we still “do.” In a society that not only allows “no cause divorce” but celebrates it, how can one couple stay together for so long? For one thing, we took our vows seriously. We promised before God, family, and friends, that we would love, honor, and obey (some traditional ceremonies change the word to “cherish”), till death. Specifically, we said we would do that “for better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health.” As if those vows were not enough, my new grandfather-in-law, came though the reception and offered further counsel. This retired minister, with years of counseling behind him, simply said, “Don’t ever go to bed mad” and he moved on down the reception line toward the cake and punch. I wish I could say we have always lived by that advice. While we have had some short nights due to long discussions and while there were a few nights of trying to sleep angry, his advice was solid, because it was based on Ephesians 4:26: “Do not let the sun go down on your wrath.” What works for marriages, works for all inter-personal relationships: So, settle your grievances before you sleep.

Join me this week in praying for the following global concerns:
• Pray for Brad and Rhonda as they attempt to cross the Canadian border on Monday in order to start a church in metro Vancouver. Pray that they receive a four-year visa.
• Pray for the new International Missions Institute recently begun at the Odessa Theological Seminary in Ukraine.
• Pray for R & B as they re-locate to Turkey and begin new job assignments.
• Give thanks for Lynn and Sandra as they celebrate fifty years in ministry and ten years serving the Capital City Baptist Church in Mexico City.