Do you need grace in your marriage? I do.
Lately, I’ve realized how easy it is for me to get irritated or frustrated over the smallest things my husband John does or forgets to do. He’s forever losing his smart phone or the car keys. My natural tendency is to roll my eyes and groan and fuss at him yet again. Or he forgets something I told him and I get irritated. Why can’t he remember? It makes me feel like what I say isn’t important to him. Or we fail to communicate clearly about something; an argument ensues which leads to blaming one another. And the issue probably wasn’t all that significant anyway!
There are “seasons” in which we are most vulnerable to this “pickiness” in marriage. Most often it is when we are tired. Usually it is when our schedules have been too full and we haven’t had any time to simply just be together and remember why we are best friends. Sleep deprivation exacerbates our testiness. Stress and responsibility add to our tendency to get picky. Either one of us can feel like we are doing all the work and the other one isn’t helping like they should. Or we aren’t being appreciated as we wish we were. Life just seems overwhelming at times. And we lose patience with one another.
Due to a month of overwhelming responsibilities John is really tired. I’m tired too and in my exhaustion I can get snippy- especially with him. So I have a choice to make. Am I going to grant him extra grace or am I going to react with resentment when he forgets someth
ing, or loses something, or asks me again about something that I have already explained?
The reality is: I disappoint him too. I let him down. We are both selfish people. He is a very good man. I am very blessed. And these little issues are just that-little. But over time it is the little issues, which unless taken care of properly, will grow into big issues of resentment and estrangement.
I want to be a woman who grants extra grace in times of need.
4 things help me:
1. Recognize that my default is usually frustration and change the default to laughter.
Simply laughing at a crummy situation has a way of relieving tension and restoring perspective.
2. Remember, in the scheme of things “this issue” is not a big deal.
And it might help to say, “If this is the only thing you do wrong today you are in good shape!” Recently, I was driving and got a speeding ticket. I was mad with myself. My sweet man said, “Don’t worry about it; it is just a ticket. “
3. Realize when extra grace might be needed and lower your expectations.
You may be snowed in with little kids or going into a stressful season of work. Lower your expectations. Plan to laugh at everything that goes wrong-yes even when he gets lost or led astray by a GPS and refuses to ask for directions. It will make a great story one day.
4. Pray for your own heart.
I’m praying today, “God make me more of a “grace granter” with my husband. Help me to be less demanding. Remind me of the amazing man he is when I get frustrated with the little things. Overwhelm me with laughter in the coming days.
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I SOOO needed this today, Susan! Thank you for your words of perspective — my husband leaving dirty dishes on the counter really isn’t a big deal. Really and truly it is not. 🙂 I’m so quick to see everything from solely my perspective, but when I take a look from his, things come into focus. He didn’t leave the dishes for me to do, he didn’t even see them because his mind is already on his very full day. Grace, grace, grace.
My husband and I have been doing too much of that which you describe lately. Ugh! I so appreciate all that you are saying!
We were strategizing on how to get rid of such petty resentments or how to ignore responses which we feel slighted by. We thought that we might actually get up from our conversation in which these poisonous moments occur and actually flush a toilet-signifying that we are choosing to ignore and forgive the “slight”, whether perceived or real. We realized that at least that action would make us laugh. We’ll see if it has the desired effect…..!Makes me laugh right now just thinking about doing it!