Are you listening?

Oh, I am listening. I am listening too much. Is that possible? Did you know that people listen to you? Everyone, even though they might not admit it, is listening and watching someone throughout the day. They are and you are! Analyze yourself. I dare you. When you go out today or tomorrow see who you watch. When you talk to someone, see which part of the conversation you are pondering. Sometimes we ponder and pick up unhealthy things. Sometimes we have attitudes that we want to deal with, that we need to deal with. Then we see someone else with that same attitude and say, "Well they do it!". I do this same thing and then get mad at my kids when they do something that their sibling does.

This same process can happen for the good. Although it may disturb your way of thinking, you might ponder something that you know would be good for you. For instance, when you see or hear something about your health. You may process everything you eat and what's in those things. You may for a while, or a day, or a week, and if you are really good a month, go and change some of your eating habits. This is good for you. You may keep up with it.

Last week someone had shared something they were reading. It applied to her currant situation and she was sharing how it corrected the way she was thinking. She read how an understanding wife is from God. She wasn't trying to be mean to her husband. She is not a person who comes off with a bad attitude or a nagging personality. She simply wanted her husband to be around more. She had read that sentence and it changed her attitude. She thought about being understanding when he couldn't be there and wanted to. She understood that he after 9 years still can't put things away and clean up after himself. It wasn't something that would make her love him less. She chose to love him more by being understanding.

Well, she shared this with me. Now I have told all of you that I adore my husband. He isn't perfect, but he is the perfect match for me. He had a horrible week last week. He had worked late almost everyday. I was getting pretty weary by Thursday. He had told me that he was going to have all of Friday off since he had worked all week, day and night. No problem. I can make it until then.

Friday came. He wasn't home. He got calls from 3 different avenues, and each needed him. I smiled and said, "It's fine. No problem." I was definitely having a problem, but he didn't need me to tell him that. I am sure he already knew. The day flew by and I didn't see my husband until about 9:30pm. I was exhausted. I had grocery shopped with all 4 kids and my mood was being tested. I was walking on the edge of a cliff, and if I wasn't careful, I would have loved to have jumped.

Then this wonderful email popped into my head. An email saying how one little sentence had straightened my friends thinking out. She didn't write it to me to rub it in. She didn't even know what my week was like or how I was alone for 99% of it. She was simply sharing something cool that had happened to her heart that day. Well isn't God's timing funny? I got that email, and was reminded of it throughout my day. I called my friend.

"Woman!" I said. "What the heck is the matter with you? Why in the world would you share something like that? I wanted to drown in my self pity and be mad and maybe make those around me crawl up to me and bow down or something. Now, I feel like blessing them instead and letting the whole week slide like it doesn't matter. Why? Why? Why did you have to send that to me this week?"

She laughed at me, just like all my good friends do. They laugh at me. They do it because they realize that I need to vent and puke up all that is with in me. They know that I choose to laugh at myself instead of get mad at myself. So they laugh at me! Thank you dear friend for sharing your life change. It has inspired me. It inspired me to think on a better level and to just laugh some more.

So here's my challenge. Find something good to look at, to ponder. Learn to adopt it. Maybe it is something little. It doesn't matter. Little things can add up to something big! Oh, and for goodness sakes, laugh at yourself! It is more fun than yelling. I promise. Would I stear you wrong?