“During the summer of 1904 an unlikely partnership was formed at the World’s Fair in St. Louis. The summer was extremely hot and people were searching for something to help them cool off. Arnold Fornachou, a local food vendor, had just what they were looking for – ICE CREAM!
People lined up for what seemed miles to get some of his cold and satisfying ice cream but there was a problem. Arnold was not prepared for the demand and ran out of paper bowls. He was forced to wash a few porcelain bowls over and over again. The result was too few bowls and many people getting tired of waiting.
Next to Arnold’s ice cream stand was the booth of a pastry chef named Ernest Hamwi. Ernest was selling a Persian wafer called “zalabia.” Ernest had a different problem: his pastry was not selling!
He noticed the dilemma Arnold was having. He took some warm zalabia and rolled it into a cone shape and showed Arnold how it could hold a scoop of ice cream.
On that hot day during the World’s Fair THE ICE CREAM CONE WAS BORN because a partnership was formed!
Ecclesiastes 4:9-12
9 Two are better than one because they have a more satisfying return for their labor; 10 for if [a]either of them falls, the one will lift up his companion. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and does not have another to lift him up. 11 Again, if two lie down together, then they keep warm; but how can one be warm alone? 12 And though one can overpower him who is alone, two can resist him. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.
Marriage is a partnership. Like the two men in our story, one brings the wafer and the other brings the ice cream and together they make ice cream cone. Though each individual is complete, when they come together they make something better.
The problem is some of us don’t see our spouse as a partner. To some their spouse is their competitor and all through in their marriage they compete and try to outdo each other. Unlike the two men in our story who saw the value of coming together, some spouses are so focused on winning and being right, they destroy their marriage.
To some, their spouse is a slave and a servant who is there to wait on them and fulfill their fantasies and nothing more. Their opinion and needs do not matter.
To others their spouse is a cash machine, and all they do is withdraw while giving nothing in return.
When you look at your spouse, what do you see?
Gods design is a partnership between a man and a woman where the two come together and become one, they become better and not bitter.
