I do not even like change jingling in my trouser pocket. Nobody hates change more than Yours Truly.
Nobody hates change more than Yours Truly. I do not even like change jingling in my trouser pocket. After all, I lived long enough and have seen enough change that I do not care to see anymore. Some may accuse me of living in a rut, but it is my rut and I am quite comfortable, thank you.
Well, most of the time.
Even though I am on a strict diet, I still find on occasion that I must eat my words. And such is the case of the aforementioned statement. However, there is some change that I, even I, can believe in.
For weeks, or has it been years, the Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage has been complaining about her stove. I did not enter in to this complaining about the stove, even though it was a very delicious temptation. After all, she is the one who bought this stove in the first place. And, it took her months to quit raving about how wonderful her new stove was.
But things have a way of changing.
Every now and then, I would hear, "This stove drives me crazy. I don't know what I'm going to do with it."
Being the astute professional husband that I am, I declined entering into this banter about the stove. After all, the less I have to do with the kitchen area of our domicile the happier I am.
Then it happened, as all things are wont to happen. For some reason my wife could not turn off the stove. Common courtesy prevents me from repeating the lively conversation my wife had with the stove in question. What I can repeat is, she had run out of patience with this old stove. Consequently, she threatened the stove that if it did not shape up and work properly, she would replace it with something newer and better. She emphasized the word “better.”
Now, I was concerned. Changing out the old stove with a new stove represented a lot of work and inconvenience on all parties. Not to mention lots of dough. I convinced her to give the stove one more chance.
Scowling at the stove she said, "OK, but this is the last straw."
A few days later, I came home and things had changed… for the worst. Contrary to the abovementioned warning, the stove did no such thing as shaping up. It still sat there refusing to turn itself off or allowing someone else to turn it off. In fact, my wife had pulled the stove completely out of its place and unplugged it.
"I'm done with the old stove and I'm getting a new one," she said with a tone of finality.
There is a time and place to discuss everything but this was neither the time nor the place to discuss a new stove. In fact, the new stove had already been ordered and was on its way. Discussion ended.
Later that week the new stove had arrived and my wife was trying it out. I was in my chair reading a book when I smelled something from the kitchen. Then my wife appeared with a cookie on a napkin and said to me, "Here, try this cookie to see if it's all right."
You are familiar with looking a gift horse in the mouth? I eagerly consumed the cookie and remarked that it tasted quite delicious.
"I burned that batch of cookies. I'm trying to find out how this convection oven works."
A few minutes later she came in with another cookie and requested, "Try this one and see if it's any better."
I do not mean to brag, and I sure do not want to pat myself on the back, but I could see a theme developing. I knew that my wife would not stop making cookies until she had it just right.
"This cookie," I said rather thoughtfully, "is a little better than the last one."
She whirled around and headed back to the kitchen and her new convection oven to try out a new batch of cookies.
"This is okay but there does seem to be something missing," I mused with the next batch of cookies.
All afternoon the cookies flowed in my direction and I, being the cookie aficionado that I am, gave her my best advice. I curiously enough, detected the least little problem with each one. She was getting so close to perfection.
My wife being so interested and committed to mastering her brand-new convection oven had forgotten the house rules, the one that she made up namely, one cookie per month for me. I had just consumed enough cookies for the next 10 years. I was willing to break the rules just to help her in her new project. That's the kind of guy I am.
Later that evening, I am glad to say, she had mastered her new convection oven as well as her cookie recipe. I, on the other hand, had a new appreciation of all things new. Sometimes change can be beneficial.
The Bible speaks of change. "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” (2 Corinthians 5:17 KJV).
Many people like to hang on to the old, even though it is not working and is actually dragging them down. Christ offers change. Real change. Change you can really believe in.
He lives with his wife, Martha, in Silver Springs Shores. Call him at 352-687-4240 or e-mail jamessnyder2@att.net. The church web site is http://www.whatafellowship.com/.
