Three Things

From the beginning of our marriage, I've asked John to play a game I like to call "Three Things." When we play, we both think of three things that we like about the other and we try not to repeat them. If you've ever read Gary Chapman's book "The Five Love Languages" you are probably recognizing that my love language is words of affirmation.

John plays along, but it's not as important for him as it is for me. He has a different love language, and I love him in his way just as he loves me in mine. Over the years as we've played our "game" we've had to get creative and though John plays, he is never the one to bring it up.

This morning, I was reading in Proverbs, and though I'm sure I've read it before I had never noticed the good news I saw today. Prov. 30 has many mentions of "three things." In fact - there are four mentions of "three things"! My game is obviously Biblical. Not only does Prov. 30 mention three things, but it increases to four things.

I think it's time to up the ante in our game - we should play Four things!

So for your reading pleasure:

“There are three things that are never satisfied, four that never say, ‘Enough!’: 16 the grave, the barren womb, land, which is never satisfied with water, and fire, which never says, ‘Enough!’

17 “The eye that mocks a father, that scorns an aged mother, will be pecked out by the ravens of the valley, will be eaten by the vultures.

18 “There are three things that are too amazing for me, four that I do not understand: 19 the way of an eagle in the sky, the way of a snake on a rock, the way of a ship on the high seas, and the way of a man with a young woman.

20 “This is the way of an adulterous woman: She eats and wipes her mouth and says, ‘I’ve done nothing wrong.’

21 “Under three things the earth trembles, under four it cannot bear up: 22 a servant who becomes king, a godless fool who gets plenty to eat, 23 a contemptible woman who gets married, and a servant who displaces her mistress.

24 “Four things on earth are small, yet they are extremely wise: 25 Ants are creatures of little strength, yet they store up their food in the summer; 26 hyraxes are creatures of little power, yet they make their home in the crags; 27 locusts have no king, yet they advance together in ranks; 28 a lizard can be caught with the hand, yet it is found in kings’ palaces.

29 “There are three things that are stately in their stride, four that move with stately bearing: 30 a lion, mighty among beasts, who retreats before nothing; 31 a strutting rooster, a he-goat, and a king secure against revolt.[b]