You may have heard of the husband who asked his wife, "Why did God make you so beautiful but so dumb?"She answered, "He made me beautiful so you would marry me, and dumb so that I could love you!"
While the insult-for-insult relationship may be funny on paper, it is deadly for a relationship. How much better to be like Linda who was married to Lou, a fourth-year seminary student. They had four children, and you can imagine their hectic schedules.
They decided to take a break and enjoy a pleasant, romantic evening. Lou was due home at 6:00 P.M. and Linda got all the kids ready for bed, picked up the baby-sitter and at 6:30 P.M. was beautifully dressed and waiting. But Lou, at the seminary library, became so involved in studying Hebrew that he forgot the time and arrived home at 8:45 P.M. By that time Linda had taken the baby-sitter home.
Lou offered nothing more than a lame "I'm sorry." As they prepared for bed, Linda began to pour out her heart, telling Lou how she had been looking forward to some time together. Then she looked over and saw Lou...fast asleep.
How did Linda respond? This was a godly woman who knew how to live according to Scripture. The next morning she arose early, put on a favorite negligee and made breakfast, which she served him in bed. Then, to cap it off, she initiated making love!
How did Lou react to Linda's effort to pay back insult with blessing? For the next month, he couldn't do enough to serve her. Her actions had heaped coals of fire on his head and he realized how wrong he had been. It was something of a turning point toward intimacy in their marriage.