I was touched by Joyful's honest admission in the comments from yesterday's post that she blew it with holding her tongue.
Don't we all?
Oh mercy sisters, if I had a dollar for every time I've blown it with speaking less than kind words to my family, I could buy several of us plane tickets to somewhere warm and tropical. A place where the sun, fun and ocean breezes carries away all stress.
After all, isn't stress what sometimes strips us of our resolve and pushes us to the brink emotionally?
The other day I was out at a coffee shop doing some studying when I overheard a woman with two kids getting pushed to "that" place. Her kids were being rowdy and she was quite frustrated. Soon her husband walked in and I quickly discerned they had planned to meet up so he could take the kids home while she met some friends for coffee.
He must have been running late which just added to her already mounting frustration. I wasn't trying to listen but couldn't help but hear her as she berated her husband with thing after thing that she found wrong with him- he was always late- very inconsiderate- couldn't care less about the stress she faced everyday...
While I totally understood where she was coming from, it broke my heart to see the look on her husband's face.
That's when it occurred to me to let that look burn deep into my heart and learn from it.
Really learn from it.
But I can't just pull myself up by my boot straps and determine to do better in my own strength. That will only last until the next time I get stressed or have a rush of hormones that makes me all crazy--- then all my own resolve fades. No, I need something more.
I've decided to make a list of Scriptures to memorize and recall when I get pushed to the brink of frustration. I want the Holy Spirit to use these verses to help interrupt my natural flesh response and redirect my reactions.
So, what are some verses you can think of to help us do this? I can't wait to see what you come up with.
Happy tongue holding- redirected reactions day y'all!
Don't we all?
Oh mercy sisters, if I had a dollar for every time I've blown it with speaking less than kind words to my family, I could buy several of us plane tickets to somewhere warm and tropical. A place where the sun, fun and ocean breezes carries away all stress.
After all, isn't stress what sometimes strips us of our resolve and pushes us to the brink emotionally?
The other day I was out at a coffee shop doing some studying when I overheard a woman with two kids getting pushed to "that" place. Her kids were being rowdy and she was quite frustrated. Soon her husband walked in and I quickly discerned they had planned to meet up so he could take the kids home while she met some friends for coffee.
He must have been running late which just added to her already mounting frustration. I wasn't trying to listen but couldn't help but hear her as she berated her husband with thing after thing that she found wrong with him- he was always late- very inconsiderate- couldn't care less about the stress she faced everyday...
While I totally understood where she was coming from, it broke my heart to see the look on her husband's face.
That's when it occurred to me to let that look burn deep into my heart and learn from it.
Really learn from it.
But I can't just pull myself up by my boot straps and determine to do better in my own strength. That will only last until the next time I get stressed or have a rush of hormones that makes me all crazy--- then all my own resolve fades. No, I need something more.
I've decided to make a list of Scriptures to memorize and recall when I get pushed to the brink of frustration. I want the Holy Spirit to use these verses to help interrupt my natural flesh response and redirect my reactions.
So, what are some verses you can think of to help us do this? I can't wait to see what you come up with.
Happy tongue holding- redirected reactions day y'all!
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