OUT TO PASTOR: There’s always tomorrow

For almost four weeks now, the Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage and Yours Truly have enjoyed some exceptional time together.

It has been the rich experience I never thought I would experience until I retired from everything. But, if this is retirement, “Lord, let it be so.”

Nothing to complain about here.

We have enjoyed spending quality time together and catching up on things that happened 50 years ago. Her memory is a lot better than mine, to be sure.

This time off has really been a rejuvenating experience, at least for me.

I must confess that I have had a Pajama Dilemma I never experienced before.

When do I take my pajamas off in the morning, get dressed, and then later, when do I undress and put on my pajamas? This new schedule has not been clearly outlined, at least from my wife’s perspective. How long can I wear my pajamas? And, do you wear a tie with pajamas?

I tried to explain to my wife that we are saving a lot of water by not having to wash clothes as much as we used to. That does not sit well with her.

Although we may be on a rather relaxed schedule, she still maintains a schedule.

Breakfast, lunch and dinner are always prepared at the same time every day. I would not mind if I munched on something (other than vegetables) all day long, particularly an Apple Fritter. But, no, we are on a strict diet. And when I say “strict,” I mean what she determines to cook.

Don’t take me wrong; she is a terrific cook. It is the schedule that I have an issue with.

I said to her last week, “Why don’t you just fix up some nice food to eat and let me eat anytime I want to?”

That sounded like a beautiful schedule for me, but it did not go down very well with her. According to her, there is a time to eat, and then there is a time NOT to eat. She emphasized the word NOT. I got the message.

During the last several weeks, my wife spent a lot of time in her “Craft Room.” She does a lot of crafts, and I am not allowed in that room.

The other day as I walked by the craft room, I looked in, and she said, “Is there anything you want?”

I knew the answer she was expecting, and so I gave it to her and went to the other end of the house. She does a lot of work in there. In fact, she has been making face masks for people.

With a smile on my face, I asked her, “Are you going to make me a face mask?”

Without even looking up, she said, “I don’t have enough material.”

There was no way I was going to ask her to explain what she meant by that. Down deep inside, I knew what she meant.

Every once in awhile, she would ask me to do something, and I would respond by telling her that I’ll get to it and do it.

The difference between my wife and me is that she takes everything seriously, and I have yet to find anything that I will take seriously.

“I thought you were going to take out the garbage,” she said to me the other day.

“I will,” I mumbled to her as I was doing some reading.

“When?” She said with a very stern tone in her voice. “You said you would do it yesterday.”

Being very nonchalant, I said, ‘Well, there’s always tomorrow.” Then I would laugh. I noticed, though, she never laughed.

I am not quite sure how many times I pulled that one on her, but she finally had enough.

Looking at me, she said, “You said that yesterday. This is the tomorrow you were talking about yesterday.”

I had to stop and think about what she was talking about. Tomorrow and yesterday are just words as far as I am concerned.

During this hiatus, I didn’t think too much about the schedule. And so as far as I was concerned, yesterday and tomorrow have no real significance to me. One day is as good as the other.

My wife, on the other hand, has a schedule that she loves to keep to. In fact, since this hiatus, she has cleaned the house from top to bottom 117 times. At least it seems that way to me.

Our house is so clean that I have no reason to sneeze anymore. If was any dirt, pollen, or dust, it is completely gone. I did not know how much I enjoyed the dust.

We were watching television together the other night, and a ridiculous idea danced through my head. With nothing more to think about, this idea took focus.

Doing a commercial, I stared across the room, and my wife said, “What are you looking at?”

Staring intently, I pointed and said, “Is that dust I see over there?”

As I watched her search for that maverick dust particle, I could not help but think of a verse of Scripture. “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever” (Hebrews 13:8).

One thing I have learned, and that is, all of my yesterdays, todays and tomorrows are in God’s hands, and I have nothing whatsoever to worry about.