by Dennis and Barbara Rainey

Ruth 1:16
Do not urge me to leave you or turn back from following you; for where you go, I will go, and where you lodge, I will lodge.

Early in our relationship Barbara and I struggled to be as accepting of each other's differing backgrounds as Ruth was of her mother-in-law's roots in the land of Judah. Barbara grew up in a country club setting near Chicago, while I was reared in Ozark, Missouri. She was a refined young lady; I was a hillbilly.

As our wedding day approached, Barbara chose a silverware pattern called "Old Master." I approached a distinguished, elderly clerk in a department store and asked the price of Old Master ware.

"It's $59.95," she replied.

"That's not bad for eight place settings of silver," I said.

Clearly ruffled, the clerk pushed her glasses back up the bridge of her nose, looked at me condescendingly, and said, "Son, that's for one setting."

I'm sure I could be heard throughout the entire floor of the store when I shouted, "Lady, do you realize how many plastic knives, forks and spoons that will buy? And why would I want to spend $20 on a knife? We don't even own a table!"

Barbara and I had to work through many other differences, some funny but others not so humorous. We had some lively discussions over dinner, but we always managed to reach a compromise.

Couples must learn the art of being different together. In our own family we are learning to do this by making our relationships more important than our individual preferences. We are trying to build a home on values we hammer out together.

Prayer:

Individually for your spouse and each member of your family, asking God that they will accept the others and be accepted in their differences.

Discuss: What are the major differences between you and your mate? Among other members of the family? Are they usually worked out happily?

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