This is from Kaichao Chang in ACCC.
Chuck Swindoll 牧師說：
好丈夫的記號是什麼？如果只能選一樣，我會選恩慈 Kindness，恩慈是做丈夫的，大都以為自己已經做到、應該可以做到、或是不難做到、實際卻很難做到的。
所附的這篇見證是“恩慈”最好的註腳！Enjoy!
================================
Burnt Biscuit
A Lesson at Breakfast Eighty Years Ago —————————– by Art Ernst
When I was a little boy 5 years of age, living on the farm, Mama liked to start the day right by cooking a tasteful breakfast, usually at 5:00 a.m.
Perfectly cooked biscuits should look like this ☺
One morning, so long ago, Mama placed a plate of fried eggs and bacon and fried apples in front of all the family, and placed an extremely burned plate of biscuits in the center of the table.
I remember waiting to see if Dad would notice: But all he did was reach for a biscuit, as he smiled at Mama.
I remember watching him smear butter and jelly on that ugly burned biscuit. He ate every bite of that thing … never made a face or said a word about it.
When I got up from the table that morning, I remember hearing Mama apologize to Dad for burning the biscuits. And I’ll never forget what he said. “Honey, I love burned biscuits every now and then.”
Later that morning, I asked him if he really liked his biscuits burned?
He wrapped me in his arms and said, “Your Mama puts in a hard day at work every day and she gets tired: There’s just as much love in a burned biscuit as there is in an unburned one: And besides, a little burned biscuit every now and then never hurt anybody!”
The author Art Ernst and his wife of Jane (they got married for 57 years)
As I’ve grown older, I’ve thought about that morning many times. Life is not always fair and it is full of imperfect things and imperfect people and I’m not perfect.
I forget things like everybody else. But what I’ve learned over the years, is that learning to accept each other’s faults and choosing to celebrate each others differences is one of the most important keys to creating healthy, growing, and lasting relationships.
Throughout our married life, if my wife, Jane, burned something, I’d say, “Sweetheart, I like it that way.” Which I really did, as she prepared it out of love. All her food has one main ingredient, “LOVE”.
And that’s my wish for each of my children and grandchildren; that you will learn to take the good, bad and ugly parts of your life and overcome them with kindness: Because in the end…
True thoughtfulness, forgiveness and consideration will give you a relationship where a burnt biscuit ain’t such a big deal!
This can be extended to any relationship. In fact, understanding is the real basis of all relationships, be it brother-sister, husband-wife, parent-child, partners or just plain old friendship!
Learn to be resilient.
Be kinder than necessary because everybody you meet is fighting some kind of battle.
Don’t put the key to your happiness in someone else’s pocket — keep it in your own.
“So, please pass me a biscuit,” and yeah, the burned one will be just fine!
Remember,
“As rain and sunshine nourish the flowers, so praise and encouragement nourishes the human spirit.”
This is the lesson I learned at Breakfast 80 years ago.
“Thanks, Dad!”
From Dad, with Everlasting Love, to Rick, Randy and Heather, and all the Grands.
(Left to Right) Wife Jane, son Rick, daughter Heather, son Randy, and Art
Art lives in a retirement home in Nebraska with his wife of 57 years, Jane. Art is a former Methodist Minister who now enjoys writing poetry and visiting with his three children and seven grandchildren.