Amy's Last Resort
Theme of the Week: Work Habits in Balance
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
 1 of 1
Key Bible Verse: People who live only for wealth come to the end of their lives … empty-handed (Ecclesiastes 5:15). Bonus Reading: Ecclesiastes 5:10, 13-15
"It won't take long," Amy assured Jim. She wouldn't say where they were going, only that she thought he'd like it. "Let's go."
"She drove me," Jim recalled, "to the newest, nicest retirement center I've ever seen. The lawns were absolutely beautiful. Entering the main building, we saw a gorgeous chandelier flanked by a baby grand piano and French provincial furnishings. Out back was a beautiful golf course.
"Why did you bring me here?" I asked. "I'm only 38; we're not about to retire anytime soon."
"To give you a picture of what it'll be like," Amy replied. "With all the money you're making, Jim, we can afford someplace like this. You can play golf by day; we can attend movies and symphonies evenings. In only 27 more years we can have a real life together."
"Amy," Jim exclaimed, "You're out of your mind!"
"No, I'm not, Jim," Amy replied firmly. "I'm tired of being a widow. I don't intend to wait 27 years to have a real life with you. By then the children won't know you at all and I'll be too old to have sex. If all you want is to live in this retirement center, you'll have to do it by yourself. I'm asking you to find a way to live now."
A stunned Jim admitted his error, took marriage counseling with Amy, and changed jobs.
—Gary Chapman in Loving Solutions
My Response: Do I need a wake-up call similar to the one Amy gave Jim?
Thought to Apply: Men, for the sake of getting a living, forget to live. —Margaret Fuller (social reformer)
Adapted from Loving Solutions (Moody, 1998) by permission.
Copyright © 2008 by the author or Christianity Today International/Men of Integrity magazine.
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You are honored, Lord, when I work hard, rest well, and nourish my relationship with You, family, and friends. Help me strike the right balance.
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