Narrator: We join Billy and Alberta for a typical Monday morning at home as they prepare to eat breakfast together. Billy: Good morning, Alberta. How are you this morning? Boy, I slept like a log, and I woke up really hungry. What's for breakfast? Alberta: Morning Billy. I'm fine. But why do you always ask me that same ridiculous question every morning about breakfast? You know that you always have oatmeal and bacon with your coffee. Here it is. So stop all of your foolishness and eat. Billy: Wow! The oatmeal is not very hot, the bacon is too crispy, and the coffee is cold. You would think that after sixty years of marriage that you would know how I like my bacon by now and that coffee is only good when it is boiling hot. Alberta: Shut up and eat your breakfast old man before you find out how well you look with an oatmeal and bacon shirt. By the way, why haven't you hung those pictures that I asked you to hang about twenty-five years ago? Billy: Oh, I might get around to it someday, maybe in another twenty-five years if you're lucky. - 1 -
Narrator: Billy and Alberta continue to grumble at each other for a few more minutes as they eat their breakfast. Then, Billy decides that he will go into the other room and watch television. Billy: I wonder what's on television this morning. There's nothing ever good on in the morning, usually just a bunch of talk shows. Maybe I'll just read my Bible instead and see what good news I can get from the Lord for today. Who knows? With that slacker son of mine, I might even get stuck teaching his Sunday School class this week. Narrator: With that Billy starts to read, and Alberta cleans up the kitchen. When she is done, she decides to do her Sunday School lesson. Surprise!!! It is about Valentine's Day. Alberta: Well, what do you know? The title of this lesson is, "The Blessings of a Good Spouse." Billy needs to read this. Oh well, let me see what it says. Narrator: While Alberta reads the lesson, Billy reads from Ephesians 5:22-24. - 2 -
Billy: Ephesians 5:22-24 says, "Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body. Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing." I ought to show this to Alberta. Maybe then she'll get my breakfast right. Narrator: Then, he reads Ephesians 5:25. Billy: Ephesians 5:25, "Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it." Wow, I never saw that before. Narrator: Meanwhile, Alberta continues reading, too. The lesson is from Proverbs 31. Alberta: Proverbs 31:10-12 says, "Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies. The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil. She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life." Proverbs 31:23 says, "Her husband is known in the gates, when he sitteth among the elders of the land." - 3 -
Narrator: As she reflects on those words, Alberta begins to see things differently and prays about her relationship with Billy. Alberta: Lord, I want to thank you for your Word and for showing me what a blessing it is to be married to Billy. He may be old and cantankerous. But he has been a wonderful husband, father, and servant for You. Please bless our home and marriage. Take control of my life so that I may be the person that you want me to be and also do those things that you want me to do. Narrator: Almost by fate (not really), the Holy Spirit causes Billy to turn to Proverbs 31 and start to read. Billy: Proverbs 31:10 says, "Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies." Proverbs 31:20-21 says, "She stretcheth out her hand to the poor; yea, she reacheth forth her hands to the needy. She is not afraid of the snow for her household: for all her household are clothed with scarlet." Proverbs 31:27-29 says, "She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness. Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her. Many daughters have done virtuously, but thou excellest them all." - 4 -
Narrator: As he reflects on those words, Billy begins to see things differently and prays about his relationship with Alberta. Billy: Lord, I want to thank you for sixty wonderful years with Alberta. Everything that You say in your Word about a good, godly wife is true of her, and I want to thank you for that. I am a blessed person, and I know that you have enriched my life abundantly. Narrator: Later that day, they apologize to each other for their ugly words at breakfast. Now, we can look in on them the next morning as they again prepare to eat breakfast. Though you would never know it from their conversation, the oat meal is cold, the bacon is overcooked, the coffee is lukewarm, and the pictures still have not been hung. Let's see what happens. Billy: Good morning, Alberta. How are you this morning? Boy, I slept like a log, and I woke up really hungry. What's for breakfast? Alberta: Morning Billy. I'm fine. I fixed your favorites, oatmeal, bacon, and coffee. I hope you enjoy it. Billy: Wow! This is great! I don't think I've ever had better oatmeal, and the bacon and coffee are just right, too. Thanks. - 5 -
Narrator: Billy pauses for a few seconds and then says a few more words. Billy: Alberta, I was reading in Ephesians 5 and Proverbs 31 yesterday morning, and the Holy Spirit showed me some things that I had never seen before. A lot of Christian guys always talk about the woman being obedient to her husband. But I realized that I have an even greater responsibility to you. From this day forward, I want to love you like Christ loves His church. Instead of demanding that you serve me, I want to serve you as my way of thanking you for sixty wonderful years. I also want you to know that I love you. Alberta: After all that I have done for you, you should want to serve me. No, Billy, I'm just kidding about that. The Lord has blessed us with sixty wonderful years together, with great kids, and with the hope of an eternity with Him. I want to thank you for all that you have done for me, and I want to serve you, too. I think that we make a great team together. What do you think? Billy: I agree with you. The Lord has blessed us far beyond what we ever expected sixty years ago. Let's be that team, and let's serve Him together for the rest of the time that we are on this earth. - 6 -
Narrator: As we saw on Monday morning, even Christian people sometimes lose sight of the most important things in life. If you are in a wonderful, Christ-centered relationship with your spouse, then you have great reason to rejoice. If you are now widowed but once had that kind of relationship, then you also have great reason to rejoice. The love of a spouse, past and present, is one of the Lord's greatest blessings. But an even greater blessing and greater love story is His love for each individual. John 3:16 says, "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." Happy Valentine's Day everyone. - 7 -