Christian writer Tony Campolo tells...
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Christian writer Tony Campolo tells the story of a man who used to make his wife miserable. He was, to be perfectly blunt, a slob. After a hard day at work, this hapless husband would breeze through the back door all sweaty and dirty, open the refrigerator, pull out a beer, and park himself in front of the television until dinner.
Unbeknownst to his wife, the man knew his marriage was in trouble, and had begun seeing a counselor. The counselor helped him see that his slovenly behavior wasn't helping matters any.
That very day the husband turned over a new leaf. Before he left work, he showered and shaved and put on a clean shirt. On his way home, he stopped at the florist and picked up a bouquet of roses. He walked up to the back door, but at the last minute changed his mind, and tiptoed around to the front. He rang his own doorbell.
When his wife opened the door, she looked up one side of him and down the other. Then she burst into tears.
The husband stared back in astonishment; then he asked her what was wrong.
"What's wrong?" she replied. "What's WRONG?! It's been a horrible day. First little Billy breaks his leg and I have to take him to the emergency room. No sooner do I get home than your mother calls, and announces she's coming to stay with us for three weeks. I go to do the wash and the machine backs up, spilling water all over the floor. And then, and THEN -- you have to come home drunk!"
Can old dogs learn new tricks? Not very likely. Not very likely, that is, if the change is coming from within themselves. But they can be changed.
Unbeknownst to his wife, the man knew his marriage was in trouble, and had begun seeing a counselor. The counselor helped him see that his slovenly behavior wasn't helping matters any.
That very day the husband turned over a new leaf. Before he left work, he showered and shaved and put on a clean shirt. On his way home, he stopped at the florist and picked up a bouquet of roses. He walked up to the back door, but at the last minute changed his mind, and tiptoed around to the front. He rang his own doorbell.
When his wife opened the door, she looked up one side of him and down the other. Then she burst into tears.
The husband stared back in astonishment; then he asked her what was wrong.
"What's wrong?" she replied. "What's WRONG?! It's been a horrible day. First little Billy breaks his leg and I have to take him to the emergency room. No sooner do I get home than your mother calls, and announces she's coming to stay with us for three weeks. I go to do the wash and the machine backs up, spilling water all over the floor. And then, and THEN -- you have to come home drunk!"
Can old dogs learn new tricks? Not very likely. Not very likely, that is, if the change is coming from within themselves. But they can be changed.
