Two is a Good Number

February 14, 2008

By Bob Caldwell

“Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up! Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken” (Ecclesiastes 4:9-12, NIV).

I enjoy seeing the Bible confirmed. God’s Word needs no confirmation to prove to me that it is true, but it is fun whenever it works out that way tangibly in my life.

A slip on the ice sent me to the emergency room with a badly broken arm. At home I found I could only get comfortable in a recliner. I even had to sleep there all night, as lying down was impossible.

Most married people understand this is an unacceptable turn of events. When you have been married for more than a quarter-century, to sleep alone is uncomfortable. There is something indescribably intimate and comfortable about sharing your bed with your life-long companion.

After a week or so in the recliner, I decided I felt well enough to try the bed. I propped myself up with a pillow into the most comfortable position I could find and Tina and I tried to go to sleep. I lasted until 4 a.m., sleeping in short bits before giving up and going back to the recliner.

When Tina and I discussed it the next morning, she said she understood. “I had trouble sleeping too,” she said. “I was constantly afraid I was going to bump you in the night and hurt you. But …” and here she hesitated, “… I was so warm.”

The Bible is right; two are better than one.

Happy Valentine’s Day.

— Bob Caldwell is a Ph.D. student at Concordia Seminary in St. Louis.