My loving husband came home and deposited said hoodie right on the floor {sorry Cougar fans}. I was so irritated when I noticed it, I wanted yell at him right then and there. Ever been there? It's the "I spent the whole day cleaning and you don't care!" moment when you seriously believe that your husband notices nothing of what you do and you're certain he thinks you and the baby sleep all. day. long.
It was a recipe for a mommy blow up that was averted by the fact that I had to leave for work five minutes after he came home. When I returned home and saw it again, that little devil on my shoulder said, "What, he has four hours at home with the baby and can't pick it up? What is wrong with him?!" She was poking me with that silly little trident, telling me "He's an adult! Make him pick it up!"
But I left it, and decided I'd wait to see exactly how long that hoodie would stay on the floor.
Fast forward 8 days, and it's still sitting there. The bonus is that he added another sweater to the pile.
{Aaaarrrrrrgggghhhhhh!}
There are two things I'm vying with right now: I want desperately to scream at him when he gets home, and God wants me to think about His grace, compassion and forgiveness and how I need to extend that to my husband.
In 2 Corinthians 2:5–8 Paul writes, "If anyone has caused grief, he has not so much grieved me as he has grieved all of you, to some extent—not to put it too severely. The punishment inflicted on him by the majority is sufficient for him. Now instead, you ought to forgive and comfort him, so that he will not be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. I urge you, therefore, to reaffirm your love for him."
Paul was referring to someone who had caused serious offense in Corinth and the church was punishing him, but Paul was reminding them that since he was sorry and had repented for his sin, the punishment should stop.
My husband probably hasn't even realized that he has "grieved" me, especially since I haven't brought it up. So my desired punishment of screaming at him wouldn't be fair in the slightest. I don't foresee my husband being "overwhelmed by excessive sorrow," but if I first forgive him for offending me then politely bring up the sweater dilemma, he's likely to be receptive and more likely to solve it.
John 1:16–17 says, "From the fullness of his grace we have all received one blessing after another. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ."
Wouldn't I be more of a blessing to my husband to give him grace, especially when Jesus gives us grace for all of our sins that are much worse then leaving a couple sweaters on the ground?
Ephesians 4:1–2 tells us: "As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love."
If that's not a direct commandment to be patient with my husband in all things—no matter how irksome—I'd be kidding myself. My calling as a wife and a mother is important, but I am also called to be a Child of God. So if I can bless my husband by behaving as a Child of God, I also bring glory to Jesus. And there's no greater calling than that!
"Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God." Ephesians 5:1–2 (NIV)
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