Husbands Say The Darndest Things

In the class I teach on Sunday mornings, we just completed a wonderful, many-month study of Psalms and Proverbs. Two weeks ago we had a discussion about the foolish, purposefully hurtful things we say or even outright lies we sometimes tell and then we try and cover it up by saying, “Only kidding.” This led to talking about the hurtful things we sometimes say but we didn't actually intend them to be hurtful. We say them without malice, but also without thinking and yet those foolish comments can still have long term consequences.

Occasionally … well, actually often … I get myself in trouble by making comments that I mean to be funny, but because I don’t think them through, actually come out as hurtful. Saying, “Only kidding,” even though I was, doesn't help in those situations either.

I related the following true story to my class.

Thirty five years ago, Cheryl and I were a young couple with two small children, only married six years. I was in the military and not making much money. We did a lot of our clothes shopping at yard sales on Saturday mornings, but on occasion we were able to splurge and buy something new. On one of those times Cheryl got a new dress which she wore to church for the first time. It was a very, very bright yellow with black stripes. It really did look nice on her.

After the worship service she went down to the nursery to get the kids while I was delayed talking to some folks. When I came out of the sanctuary, I saw her down at the end of the hallway that ran the length of the church. She was standing by the door talking to someone else and she had the girls with her.

When I got to her, she said, “Oh, good. I didn't know if you knew I was down here, I was worried you wouldn't find me.”

I said, with a smile on my face, “No need to worry. I saw you from all the way at the other end of the hallway. Couldn't miss you. You look like a big ol' bumblebee in your new dress.”

OOPS!

She never wore that dress again!

Fortunately she started talking to me again last week.