Another wonderful wedding weekend at our house, where our daughters are bridesmaids for the daughter of long-time family friends. And again, God provided another beautiful picture about how husbands should loves their wives. But it didn’t happen at the wedding (scheduled for later today). No, this was at the coffee shop where I often go to write over my lunch hours.

On this particular hot and hazy day, an elderly man and his wife left the coffee shop. The man headed straight to the driver’s door of their car and pulled out his keys.  His wife, however, started walking down the line of cars to the left, apparently thinking they had parked their car somewhere else. Before she got too far, the man called to his wife.

“Honey, let’s take this one! It’s a better car!”

I had to admire this man’s quick wit. Telling his wife that this was the better car is like my mom telling me that I’m her favorite child (I’m her only child).

But then it hit me what was really happening. Instead of chiding his wife or belittling her, reminding her again that her memory is slipping with an easy “Ooops honey, you’re going to the wrong car,” he chose humor to more gently guide her in the right direction.

Our friend who spoke at the rehearsal dinner last night gave the great Biblical advice to the groom that he is to love his bride as Christ loved the church, which includes giving up his life for her. I’ve learned in 31 years of marriage that “giving up your life” takes many forms. Not the least of which is refusing to take the easy road of simply correcting the error, but choosing to “speak the truth with love” in a way that honors her.

Speaking the truth, you say? What about the car? Oh, the car was nice enough. Not the most expensive car, or the largest. But still, the husband told his wife the truth.  You see, his keys wouldn’t work for any other car in the lot.

So on that day and for that couple, the car he chose was truly the best car.