A Parable of Marriage

I speak you a parable of marriage...Once upon a time - all parables began this way. Once upon a time there was a man who entered eternity with his records lost so the angels did not know where to send him.

The angels decided to let him choose his final destination. They took him to a large banquet room where there was a table set with every conceivable food. The table was beautiful and the food looked sumptuous. "This is Hell," he was told by the angel. And just as he was thinking that the place did not look half bad, in came people with their arms in splints. They could hold the food, but they could not get the food to their mouths. So they writhed in hunger and gnashed their teeth in pain.

"Let me see Heaven," he said. "I'm sure that will be my choice." So the Angels took him to another banquet room. "This is Heaven," the angels said as they opened the door. The room looked the same as Hell - a table set with every conceivable food - the table was beautiful and the food looked sumptuous. Just as he was expecting to see people who were different come to the table, in walked people with their arms also in splints. But an amazing thing began to happen in Heaven. Each person picked up food and began to feed his neighbor.

When two people get married and each tries to feed the emotional needs of his/her spouse - "How can I help you achieve your goals in life?" "What can I do to make our marriage fulfilling to you?" - that marriage is about as close to Heaven as anything gets here on earth. Both partners get their needs met.

But when two people get married and each tries to extract his/her needs from his/her spouse, that marriage is about as close to Hell as anything gets here on earth. Both are asking: "What can he/she do to make me happy?" Neither gets their needs met. They writhe in emptiness and gnash their teeth in great want.

Let those with ears hear and heed this parable.