She opens her mouth in wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.
—Proverbs 31:26 NASB
HOW OFTEN DO WE MAKE LIFE ALL ABOUT ME, ME, me? We forget that other people work hard, are tired or sick, or simply are as busy as we are. In this dare, we learn a little bit about perspective.
Lisa found herself staring at the dinner dishes on the table at the end of an exhausting day of running kids to and from school, a doctor’s appointment, and soccer practice. She had also worked six hours at her part-time job. And adding stress to an already chaotic day, her husband had called, needing her to run papers to a client forty-five minutes away. She had helped him out cheerfully, but by the end of dinner, she just wanted to go to bed.
Achy and uncomfortable from her period, as well as depleted from the day, she asked Tim if he would mind taking care of the dishes and getting the kids to bed so she could take a bath and turn in.
“Of course,” he said, and off she went.
When the alarm went off at 6:00 a.m., Lisa wandered downstairs to start the coffee and was greeted by half of last night’s chicken casserole still sitting on the counter next to the aluminum foil. Immediately, she was awake and irritated. “How could he forget to put this away last night?” she thought. “Do I have to do everything myself? Why can’t someone take care of me without it costing me something?” She put away the aluminum foil and started shoving the remains down the garbage disposal. “After the day I had yesterday, it’s no small miracle dinner even happened,” Lisa fumed as she watched the last of the casserole disappear down the sink.
The drone of the garbage disposal gone, she heard her husband’s slippers scraping the hardwood floors as he walked in to witness her putting the casserole dish into the dishwasher.
“Oh, gosh, I’m really sorry—I was so tired myself last night that by the time I was done getting kids to bed, I completely forgot I wasn’t finished in the kitchen. That was a really good meal, hon’. I’m sorry I wasted the leftovers,” he sighed.
Lisa looked up at him, sensing her Bible verse for the week flowing through her head. She opened her mouth, and the words that came out resembled none of the emotion she’d felt just a few moments earlier.
“You had a really tough day yesterday, too, I remember,” she stated, almost as much to herself as to him. “Don’t feel bad about the casserole. Thanks for putting the kids to bed and cleaning up so I could relax. I bet you wanted to do the same thing.”
BOTTOM LINE: Sometimes an insult or injury is simply the actions of someone who is tired, just like we are. Be kind, and you will foster a considerate environment in your home!
SO WHAT ABOUT YOU?
1. Could you relate to Lisa’s story? Why or why not?
2. Think over the last few days of interactions, especially those at the end of your day. How kind have you been? Have you been wise in your communication?
3. What can you do today to honor God in the way you speak to your husband or kids?
4. When you are tired or drained, are you still able to empathize with others and understand if they are in a similar situation? Or does it become all about you?
Today, choose only to speak words that are kind. Choose to say nothing at all if you do not know how to say it kindly. At first this may feel as though you are letting others take advantage of you, but realize that, instead, it is actually an exercise in self-control. First comes the control, then comes the ability to see things how God sees them, then comes the ability to say things wisely to others.
Pray that God helps you keep your words wise and kind today and in the future days of this journey.