The Hot Dog Incident
Many years ago when we were young parents with young children, Bobby and I gave our lives to Christ. Still in the infancy of our faith, we were learning to walk in obedience via on-the-job training.
One particular weekend, we attended a birthday party in honor of the 3-year-old daughter of close friends. Our own children were just five- and seven-years old at the time. It was a small, family gathering with simple fare. As our youngest carried his styrofoam picnic plate across the kitchen, he inadvertently tipped it, depositing his hot dog on the floor. Immediately, Bobby reacted. Badly. He scolded our young son sternly, probably due in part to his own embarrassment.
As I sat observing, human nature strongly urged me to intervene. Instead, I held my tongue to avoid publicly undermining my husband, and quietly asked God to Divinely reveal to Bobby that he had been harsh. After all, the incident was accidental and could’ve happened to anyone.
Not five minutes later, Bobby crossed the kitchen, and what I witnessed confirmed that God had not only heard my prayer, but chose to answer it instantly. The plate Bobby held literally bent in half sending his hot dog to the kitchen floor, then snapped back up into place without spilling any of his other food. His expression betrayed the realization that he’d been publicly chastised. The Hand of God had reached down from Heaven and supernaturally caused Bobby’s plate to give way, dislodging precisely the same food item his 5-year-old son had spilled only a moment beforehand. Humbled, he recognized that he had indeed been sharp with our son, and he accepted his Divine scolding with grace and humor.
The rest of us erupted with boisterous laughter, unable to contain ourselves at the spectacle! It was too funny not to laugh, and the timing was too perfect to be deemed coincidental.
This simple scene taught me a lasting and valuable spiritual lesson . . . it is not necessary for me to publicly reprimand my husband. When I take it to the Lord confidentially in prayer, He is faithful to handle any required discipline.
Although it’s fine to speak privately with your spouse if you feel he/she needs a little gentle correction, it’s never constructive to self-righteously humiliate your beloved in the presence of others. Allow our Heavenly Father to admonish your significant other in His way and in His time. The Hot Dog Incident serves as a constant reminder to me that God’s methods are far superior to my own ~ and sometimes, far more humorous!
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“Everything is funny, as long as it’s happening to somebody else.” ~ Will Rogers