Beyond the Infraction

I was running late. Not only did I have my hair to dry and my clothes to iron but my husband presented me with his shirt to iron too. Don’t get me wrong, my husband is a great guy, but that irritated me. As I ironed, I grumbled inside. Okay, so I had gotten in the shower later than I should have. Sure, I hadn’t expected to have to do a quick mend on my blazer, but I could have made it, I thought. Now there was no chance for me to be ready on time. Knowing that my husband hates being late, made me want to blame him for the fact that he would soon be annoyed with me. Then I remembered something... I was fortunate to have a husband’s shirt to iron at all.

My sister-in-law had suffered from allergies and was always sniffling or sneezing. Like snoring, these sounds can become very irritating. My brother admitted to me that he used to complain about it but after her death in a car accident, he would have given anything to hear those sounds again! I’m glad that his words stuck in my head, and that God pulls them out occasionally and drags them into my heart. None of us know how long we will have a spouse with us, or a child or a parent. God is the only One who knows.

It’s very easy to fall into the trap of complaining about inconveniences, or the inconsiderate behavior of others. In our world of "hurry" we have less patience. Our schedules do not allow for things to deviate from our plan and we complain when it does. That’s why it takes a conscience effort to look beyond the infraction to the blessing. This is not easy, but we have a God who is ready to help us when we ask. He can give us His perspective and His patience to do it.

The shirt incident was a reminder for me to appreciate that I have a husband. A reminder that God has blessed me with someone to share my ups and downs with. Someone with whom I have produced a beautiful child with. That same person can be aggravating. He can even be wrong. However, I have the choice of whether to embrace the blessing or pick at the infractions. .

Be blessed-

Jeanine Black

PS. This is not a call to ignore abusive behavior. Seek help if you are in that type of situation!