My parents were a good example of a happily married couple. They were married for almost 58 years, and although they didn’t agree on everything, I don’t remember ever hearing them argue. Once in awhile I could tell they were unhappy with each other because of the tension in the air, but still they were polite.
Very often it is the wife who works hardest keeping the peace and giving in rather than fighting, but in my parents case dad also tried.
When I was older dad told me about a time early in their marriage that changed the way he treated mom. They had had a disagreement that made him really mad. After arguing during the day he went to bed that night fuming, knowing he was right and that she had better repent or she would never make it to heaven.
“I woke up in the middle of the night with a start,” dad told me. “I don't know if I'd just had a really vivid dream, or if the Lord actually spoke to me, but I remembered clearly these words:
“Even if Eleanor is wrong, it doesn’t matter. Unless you make her happy you won’t go to heaven!”
After that, even though dad wasn’t perfect, he made up his mind to make mom as happy as he could the rest of his life. And he really did.
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