Do you ever unintentionally aggravate your husband or boyfriend? I never do it on purpose but I have been known to cause additional work here on the homestead due to my lack of knowledge, usually in the realm of construction.
Take this hinge on the door to the chicken coop for example, I never knew that if you overextended it, the hinge would not last as long and eventually rot out of its board. Jim went to Buchheit and bought an expensive hinge so that he would never have to replace it. It is good stewardship but he didn’t factor in me slamming it open in sub-zero temperatures to let the girls out quickly or leaving it hanging with no support.
Probably the worst error I ever made when it comes to “farm mistakes” was the time I was in a hurry. I was late to dinner down at the lake with our neighbors and I piled into my little red truck and gunned it. I am a great driver and I took that first curve fast. I didn’t realize that on the back of my truck, Jim had one of the large flower pots he had reworked and the tailgate was down. So out it went as I took that turn. It had taken him days of meticulous work to caulk and apply a layer of “slip” a light plaster-like coating he found in the paint department at Buchheit. When Jim arrived for dinner at the lake, he asked me where was the pot he was working on, had I taken it into a shed before I took off in the truck. When I said no, he hit the roof! I had rarely seen him that mad, but what bothered him the most was the lack of respect for his time that my inattention showed.
I rushed back to the curve but it was a lovely large pot and someone had stopped and picked it up. To add injury to insult it was part of a set and could not be replaced. I dreaded going home as Jim had left the party early. I knew I deserved the “talking to” that was coming but it was with an aching heart that I pulled into our driveway. There really was no excuse for my carelessness.
I walked into his shop expecting to be lectured but he was back to his normal calm self. “Hi honey!” he said. I asked him why the change of heart? He answered softly: “well, staying mad is not going to change the situation, and I love you so let’s just drop it. I know you are sorry.” Wow! What a husband! He chose to walk in the scripture, “love covers over a multitude of sins.” I learned a great lesson that day on how much I was loved by my man. I look at the remaining two pots that he reworked and smile as they now remind me of a victory in our marriage. I try to follow his example and cover over offenses quickly too. Remember that we all make mistakes and it costs nothing to be gracious. It’s a learned behavior but so worth the effort. Hope this was helpful. Be blessed and be happy! Anne May
