October 17 – “What a wife”

 

 

I had something happen to me yesterday that had never happened before.  It was actually the fulfillment of a dream … sort of.

 

It all began with a comment I made during the teaching at church.  I was teaching from the book of Zechariah, and one of the verses mentioned grapes and fig trees.  Although it had nothing to do with the actual content of the message, I mentioned in passing that I had a particular image that comes to my mind whenever I hear the word "grapes."  I'm certain it comes directly from Hollywood, but it is seared into my brain, nevertheless.  I see a man on one of those luxurious couches.  He is surrounded by trays with all sorts of foods, and his every whim is carried out by his beautiful female attendants.  Now here's where the grapes come in.  He is leaning his head back farther than I can lean mine because of neck surgeries, and one of those attendants is dangling over his mouth an entire bunch of grapes.  Ah.  Great image.  It moves beyond contentment into the realms of luxury.  Peace.  Tranquility.  Hey, it's my image.  I can interpret it any way I want.

 

So yesterday afternoon I was sitting at my desk going over the marriage ceremony I had to perform in a short time.  Chris came up behind me and sort of tapped me on the head, just enough to get my attention and cause me to look up.  And there, dangling just above my head, was a bunch of grapes.  Now that really threw me.  See, Chris was in the nursery during the teaching, so she hadn't heard it at all.  Someone who had heard it got word to her.  My first instinct was to reach up and take them from her and stammer out a quick and confused thank you.  But then she said something like, "I understand I'm supposed to feed you some grapes."  And that's when it all came back to me.  The most beautiful woman in my world was feeding me grapes.  It was my dream come true, and I had almost blown it.  I quickly pulled my hand away and leaned back with a smile.  It was just one grape, but that one grape was the sweetest thing on earth at that moment.  What a wife.

 

Song of Solomon 4:1 says, "How beautiful you are, my darling! Oh, how beautiful!  Your eyes behind your veil are doves.  Your hair is like a flock of goats descending from Mount Gilead."

 

Father, thank you for my wife.  Nuff said.  Amen.