For Valentine's Day, our dear Ashlea sent us the book The Christian Lover: The Sweetness of Love and Marriage in the Letters of Believers by Michael Haykin. This small book is a collection of love letters written by some of the most prominent Christian leaders in the history of the church. I found the following letter in the first chapter particularly amusing. I guess it goes to show that our wifely "concern" is not always appreciated. :)
Martin Luther to the holy lady, full of worries, Mrs. Katharina, doctor, the lady of Zolsdorf, at Wittenberg, my gracious, dear mistress of the house.
Grace and peace in Christ! Most holy Mrs. Doctor! I thank you very kindly for your great worry which robs you of sleep. Since the date that you [started to] worry about me, the fire in my quarters, right outside the room, tried to devour me; and yesterday, no doubt because of the strength of your worries, a stone almost fell on my head and nearly squashed me as in a mouse trap. For in our secret chamber mortar has been falling down for about two days; we called in some people who [merely] touched the stone with two fingers and it fell down. The stone was as big as a long pillow and as wide as a large hand; it intended to repay you for your holy worries, had the dear angels not protected [me]. [Now] I worry that if you do not stop worrying the earth will finally swallow us up and all the elements will chase us. Is this the way you learned the Catechism and the faith? Pray, and let God worry. You have certainly not been commanded to worry about me or yourself. "Cast your burden on the Lord, and he will sustain you," as is written in Psalm 55:22 and many more passages...
Your Holiness' willing servant,
Martin Luther
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