our christian love STORY continues

Milton, here for Kristy:

Someone said, "Great stories are written about life with all the dull parts taken out."

That may not be an exact quote, but it is close. We have had some dull patches in our lives, but neither Kristy nor I wanted it that way very long. Even in our differences there has been some fun moments.

Kristy tried many novel ideas to train me. You know, to get me to do it her way. I will admit that I was slow to grasp many of the changes she thought I should make, but we always found a way to work through the issues.

"Please hang your clothes up. Don't leave them on the rocking chair by the bed," she used to say to me. I wasn't a slob, but she was just neater and more efficient than me. I would take my clothes off and lay them on the rocking chair next to our bed with the intent of hanging them up later. Over and over we dwelt with this issue.

One day I came home from church and went into our bedroom to change clothes. "Where is the rocker? That's the rocking chair my Mom rocked me in when I was a baby. It's gone. Who took it? Why did they take it? Where can a lay my clothes?"

Then it hit me.

This is Kristy's creative manner of speeding the learning curve. She has moved the chair and now I will have to immediately hang my clothes where they belong. This woman is brilliant. She moves everything faster. Or does she?

I smiled and looked around the room. There wasn't a chair to be found. There is no bedpost or anything to hang my clothes. Or is there?

Yes, I could see a place to put them. There is a ceiling fan with four blades which has just enough blades to hang clothes. My coat goes on one blade. My tie fits on the next blade. My shirt hangs well on the next one, and my trousers fit the last one. This will prove my point as the "head" of this place.

Now, that ought to do it and the day continued.

No one mentions the clothes. The dinner hour passes and no one discusses the new arrangements for hanging clothes. The day is ending and still all is quiet.

Then the laughter starts, and a lesson is learned. I learned that hanging them once where they should go is actually a more efficient use of energy than doing double work. I learned that fans don't work as good with clothes flying around the room. I learned that when momma ain't happy then nobody is going to be happy.

I can still see the clothes hanging there, and I can still hear the laughter.

Great christian love stories have some bends and turns along the way and the dull parts are taken out of the story.

***

How is Kristy?

Kristy was restless on Tuesday. She hallucinated thinking that she had been kidnapped. She asked Jennifer what could be done to change what was happening. We do all we can to comfort her and to help her know that she is OK.

Julie, Jennifer and I are doing better. God is with us and we feel your presence too.