What’s In Your Headlines?

Here's a great illustration I found online about two different perspectives. One perspective comes from Venus (feminine), and the other from Mars (masculine). One is called The Wife's Diary. The other is called The Husband's Diary. 

The Wife’s Diary: "Tonight, I thought my husband was acting weird. We had made plans to meet at a nice restaurant for dinner. I was shopping with my friends all day, so I thought he was upset that I was a bit late, but he made no comment. The conversation wasn't flowing, so I suggested that we go somewhere quiet so we could talk. He agreed, but he didn't say much.

I asked him what was wrong. He said, "Nothing." I asked him if it was my fault that he was upset. He said he wasn't upset, that it had nothing to do with me, and that I shouldn't worry. On the way home, I told him that I loved him. He smiled slightly and kept driving. I can't explain his behavior. I don't know why he didn't say, “I love you, too.”

When we got home, I felt as if I had lost him completely, as if he wanted nothing to do with me anymore. He just sat there quietly and watched television. He still seemed distant and absent. Finally, with silence all around us, I decided to go to bed. About fifteen minutes later, he came to bed. But I still felt my husband was distracted, and his thoughts were somewhere else. He fell asleep. I cried. I don't know what to do. I'm almost sure that his thoughts are with someone else. My life is a disaster."

The Husband’s Diary: “A two-foot putt. Who the heck misses a two-foot putt?” 

Ten years ago, my wife Becky and I had a similar diary story when we were selling our home and looking for a new home at the same time. Here’s what Becky posted on her Facebook page.  

Becky’s Diary: "Well, as of last night, we have a contract on our existing house. We haven't found a house to move to yet, so I'm in bed with my mind racing, thinking, “OK, our daughter and her husband said we could stay with them, but we could stay with Ed's father, but Ed needs internet for his work. Where are we going to put all the stuff we have to pack?”

So, I couldn't fall asleep. I got up, did some stuff, and finally fell asleep sometime after 2:00 AM. In the morning, Ed and I were sitting in the family room. Ed was strangely quiet, so I assumed he was thinking about the upcoming move. I said, “Whatcha’ thinkin’?” 

Ed’s Diary: “I can't believe Jeff Gordon blew winning the NASCAR race yesterday!" Becky replied, “Oh my gosh, you are such a guy!" 

Becky had thirty-seven likes and twenty comments on her Facebook in an hour (mostly ladies). The truth is, we found our next house in a day or two after looking for a new house for a year. And the day our old house closed turned out to be the day we moved into our new house. Some would call this coincidence. I think God winked at us and said, “I’m still here!” 

The lesson here is don't get all steamed up when you don't know what's cooking. To be fair to Becky, she has a straightforward thought about the Venus and Mars idea. "Hmm, women are from Venus, and men are from Mars. No, you're both from Earth. Deal with it." That's my Becky.    

This phenomenon also happens with God and us human beings. But it's not about Venus and Mars issues. It's with heaven and earth issues. Here's another diary example of us humans and our conversations with ourselves and God. I'll call it Our Diary and God's Diary. 

Our Diary. “Dear God, our world's falling apart, things are terrible, everything is out of control, I can't cope, there's no hope, things will never change, we can’t recover from this, it’s the end of the world.”

God's Diary. "Dear Person: Yes, I understand the way you feel. I am God! I'll handle all your problems today. I will not need your help. Have a good day.” 

Wow, God is such a guy! Do you know what? It may seem like things are out of control, but God is in control. Here's another diary entry I gleaned from Pastor Andy Stanley illustrating that God is in control.

"Sometimes, I just want it to stop - all the talk about COVID, looting, brutality, and all the terrible things going on. I feel like I have lost my way. I become convinced that this 'new normal' is real life. Then I meet an 87-year-old who talks of living through polio, diphtheria, Vietnam protests, and yet is still enchanted with his life.

"He seemed surprised when I said that 2020 must be incredibly challenging for him. ‘No,’ he said slowly, looking me straight in the eyes. 'I learned a long time ago not to see the world through the headlines. I see the world through the solid people that surround me. I see the world with the realization that we love big. Therefore, I choose to write my own headlines: Husband loves wife today. Family drops everything to come to Grandma's bedside. He patted my hand. Old man makes a new friend.' 

"The aged man’s words collided with my worries, freeing me from the tether I had been holding tight. They float away. I'm left with a renewed spirit and a new way to write my own headlines."

Today, what's in your Diary and who's in your headlines?