"I can master it", said the Ax.
His blows fell heavy on the hard, strong steel.
But each blow only made his edge
more blunt until he ceased to strike.

"Leave it to me", said the Saw.
With his relentless teeth, he worked back & forth.
But to his dismay, all of his teeth
were worn out or broken off.

"Ha!" said the Hammer. "I knew you could not do this.
Let me show you how."
But with the very first blow, his head flew off, and the steel was unchanged.

"Shall I try?" asked the Flame.
And it curled itself gently around the strong, hard steel, and embraced it, and would not let it go.
And the tough steel melted.

There are hearts that are
hard enough to resist:
The forces of wrath,

The fury of pride.

But hard is the heart that
can resist the warm "flame of Love".

Let’s admit that when our bosses, spouses or children are stubborn or unreasonable we try to pound them into shape or cut the problem out. Have we ever tried to melt their hearts with a little love and kindness? Don’t we all love to be appreciated? Don’t we love to do whatever we can for those who treat us with love?

The Bible tells the story of a young man named John Mark who traveled with the Apostle Paul on his first missionary trip. They were stoned and left for dead, thrown in prison and persecuted. It was too much for John Mark who gave up and went home. When Paul was ready to start his second trip, he refused to take John Mark. Barnabas took him and gently turned John Mark into a courageous, success story. Often we have every right to pound, cut and destroy, but what would happen if we turned the heat of love and kindness up and helped mold our children into success stories?

None of us are perfect as individuals – nor are our marriages perfect.  As we work together to maintain our love and a strong marriage, our homes will be a good environment for growing and happy children.

by: Author Unknown, Source Unknown