Thought of the Day 05.01.08

I recently wanted to surprise my wife with some candy, so I picked her up a box of Whoppers at the store. At home, her anticipated happiness turned out to be disappointment. “What’s wrong?” I asked. “Why did you buy me Whoppers?” she replied. “I thought I was doing something sweet for you,” I said. “But I don’t like Whoppers,” she explained. “I like Milk Duds, and I always have. You’re the one who likes Whoppers.”

Though I was obviously frustrated by this result, she was right. See, showing love is a complicated thing precisely because it either demonstrates that you really know the other person or else proves you don’t. And if I’m wrong about my wife’s preferences, it shows that I haven’t cared enough about her to learn them and see the world through her eyes. Intimacy presupposes knowledge, and gifts that might have worked on our first date are not impressive after 10 years of marriage.

All of which leads me to wonder whether my ways of trying to please God sufficiently reflect the knowledge of Him I’m supposed to have by this time…or not.