A (Kind of) Love Story
Meet Stuart Pederson III & his lovely wife, Grace. They met on Thanksgiving Day 2014 & after a whirlwind romance, tied the knot on New Year’s Day, 2015. But by the time February rolled around, the honeymoon was over. Stu (known affectionately to his friends as Stu-Ped) knew he was in trouble, but he had a plan. On Feb. 13 he left a note for Grace asking what she wanted for Valentine’s Day. When he arrived home that evening he found the following list written in lipstick on the bathroom mirror:
A card 
Flowers
Dress up
Take me out to eat
Do something fun after dinner
Come home, listen to music & see what happens…
Stu, bless his heart, tried. He really did. But apparently something got lost in the translation. The following is what actually happened –
What she asked for:
“A card”
What she expected:
Expensive, over-sized Hallmark card
filled with romantic sentiments
What she got :
A remnant from the “picked over” dollar section featuring a fat lady with huge red lips
What she asked for:
“Flowers”
What she expected:
A dozen red roses
What she got:
A $3 mixed bouquet of dying flowers from Walmart
What she asked for:
“Dress up”
What she expected:
Dress shirt, dress pants, maybe a sport coat & tie
What she got:
His least dirty jeans, sneakers & favorite ratty t shirt
What she asked for:
“Take me out to eat”
What she expected:
Fancy restaurant, linen tablecloths & napkins, candle light, live string quartet
What she got:
Sports Bar, chicken wings, paper napkins, 27 ball games on television
What she asked for:
“Do something fun after dinner”
What she expected:
Go see a chick flick, followed by a romantic stroll
What she got:
Basketball game at Sports Bar, high five when his team won
What she asked for:
“Come home, listen to music & see what happens…”
What she expected:
Slow dancing to smooth jazz
What she got:
Country’s Best “Love ‘em & Leave ’em” Songs of All Time DVD
Guess what he got:
Nothing!
Not even an ‘E’ for effort!
Epilogue:
One year later…
As they prepared to celebrate their second Valentine’s Day together, Stu & Grace looked back on the previous year’s fiasco with humor. How did they survive such a rocky start to their marriage? There is only one possible explanation: Grace!
Point to Ponder:
Love, in its very essence, requires grace. None of us is exempt from hurting the ones we love, intentionally or not. For our most trusted relationships to endure, we must give & receive grace. It is not deserved, nor can it be earned. It is only offered & accepted. How blessed is the relationship restored by grace.
In this month of Love, I challenge you to examine your own life. Who has reshaped your future by extending grace when it was least expected or deserved? Perhaps a parent or a friend. A teacher or co-worker. Certainly your spouse. Maybe even your child. This would be a great time to send a Valentine with a note of appreciation for this miracle of restoration we call grace.
“Hatred stirs up strife, But love covers all sins.” Prov. 10:12 (NKJV)
Blessings,
Ruff
"Ruff?" 