FocusOnTheFamily

You, me and P.O.V.

Written by Clark Cothern

Opposite points of view (P.O.V.s) make for a strong marriage . . . unless two people try to land from opposite directions on the same runway at the same time. In the early years of my marriage, that’s what happened – often. Back then, P.O.V. usually stood for “pretty obviously vexed.”

My wife, Joy, and I seemed to see just about everything from different P.O.V.s. I carefully squeezed the toothpaste from the bottom. Joy crushed its midsection. I’ll bet we’ve shoved gallons of that stuff back and forth.

If she said, “I could see two chairs on one wall and the couch on the opposite wall,” you could guarantee we were both thinking about different walls.

We definitely had different P.O.V.s concerning the kids’ pet goldfish. Spot’s little bowl needed cleaning. I cleverly demonstrated how we could transfer Spot into a plastic bag, which would serve as his “little fishy camper trailer.”

“Wouldn’t it be a good idea to put the water in the baggie before putting in the fish?” Joy asked. Silly question. She didn’t know how quick men could be with their faucet-trigger fingers.

From my P.O.V., it made complete sense to put the fish in the baggie and then quickly add water. What’s a second or two among friends?

Someone failed to inform me, however, that the dishes had just been rinsed with really hot water. To my credit, technically speaking, I turned on the cold water. But it was difficult to explain that to Spot.

It was just after Spot’s funeral under the pine tree in the side yard that I began to understand how important a spouse’s P.O.V. could be.

Now, instead of quarrelling about our opposite perspectives, we just enjoy the humour that our P.O.V.s bestow upon our household. Take, for example, a recent Christmas when Joy asked, “Are you going to bring the tree in through the side door?” Of course I was. Another silly question.

We all guffawed as I wrestled the tree through one side door while Joy stood at the other side door, where she had carefully placed a sheet to catch the needles.

I grinned. “Gotta love me . . . and my incredible P.O.V.”

Clark Cothern pastors Living Water Community Church in Ypsilanti, Michigan. He and Joy have been married 28 P.O.V.-challenged years.

© 2007 Focus on the Family. All rights reserved. International copyright secured. Used by permission.

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