Name: Linda
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Who Me Lord?
It is very humbling to think that you have mastered something in your life only to find that it isn't true at all. I thought I had the nagging, contentious thing down. "I don't do that any more," I rather proudly said to myself. "I only make sweet suggestions in the nicest possible way. I don't even argue my own point very much any more - well not a lot anyway." Then something I read in my devotional, "MY Utmost For His Highest," brought me up short this morning. It was more than a mere whisper of the Spirit; it was loud and clear:
"We imagine we understand where the other person is, until God gives us a dose of the plague of our own hearts. There are whole tracts of stubbornness and ignorance to be revealed by the Holy Spirit in each one of us, and it can only be done when Jesus gets us alone."
"Do you mean I shouldn't suggest that he attend a Men's Bible Study Lord, or that I shouldn't give him creative suggestions for ways to spend his free time, or ask him for the umpteenth time when he's going to work on his truck, or suggest (in the nicest possible way) that he call the kid who was supposed to order the part for the a.c. unit so the man can come and fix it?"
"Yes Linda. That is what I mean."
"Oh. I understand. It's that verse in Proverbs isn't it? The one that says 'A quarrelsome wife is as annoying as constant dripping on a rainy day." (Prov. 27:15) Please forgive me and give me the grace to stop doing it."
Not one hour later, my husband picked up the phone and called the man who is supposed to come and fix the a.c. I hadn't said a word - honest. I didn't even try to get the message across with body language or sighs or facial expressions. He got everything worked out. And here is the best part. After talking to the man, he talked to his wife who sets up his schedule. My quiet husband had a long conversation with the wife about God's goodness and dealing with illness and praying for one another. I just listened in amazement and imagined the Lord grinning from ear to ear.
"So I guess this means I don't have to be my husband's "holy spirit" Father?
"Yes child. I've taken care of that. Let's you and I work on your heart, and let Me work with your husband on the things I desire to do in his heart. I can do that."
I love it when the Lord does such an obvious thing in my life - even when it means I have to face some difficult things about myself. I am learning that I have so much to learn.
We will celebrate our 42nd wedding anniversary tomorrow. I am still learning!
Blessings,
9 Comments:
O..wow... I have alot to learn and think about now... Thank you so much for posting this, as I have now learned something!
Thanks again for a great and touching post..
Love, Jess
Congratulations on 42 years of marriage!
It's freeing not being our husbands Holy Spirit and in my case not praying Annette's will in Jesus Name, though I do struggle with it out of the clear and the blue now and then.
Ouch, my toes, lol! We just celebrated our 35th wedding anniversary, and I'm still learning, too. My problem is not so much with nagging, as my sweet husband doesn't generally give me any reason to feel I need to nag, but I do have a tendency to be his "holy spirit", as you put it. I do this with my daughter, too, even more--but at least with her, it's under the guise of motherly advice. I'm having to learn that she's grown now (she's college-age) and has a close walk with the Lord, as does my husband, and that the Holy Spirit is perfectly capable of guiding both of them without my input, other than praying for them.
Thanks for this timely reminder.
Wonderful, Linda. I just love it when we get very clear messages! It does mean taking the time to listen, though, and I am trying to make sure that time goes to the top of the to do list.
Happy Anniversary for tomorrow! Congratulations to you both!
Yikes! You hit the nail right smack on the head. You do that often, you know!
Happy Anniversary!!
Dearest Linda,
Omigosh, Bloglines wasn't picking up your feed and I didn't realize you were posting! I'm so sorry for not having been around...I have no idea why it wasn't picking up your feed!! I feel so badly, but honestly it wasn't done on purpose:-( I just happened to come check up on you and that's when I noticed you HAD been posting. Aaarrggghhh! lol
Loved reading this post..so often we think we're doing a good thing by reminding others to do this or that but we're in fact "nagging". God has His own way of letting them know when it's time to do something:-) xoxo
Aww, this was so on target for me! So I guess this means I shouldn't remind him that I want some room made for me in the garage to put the items I pick up at the can-can sale at ShopRite this week? Well, we'll see what happens.
Btw, happy anniversary if I don't get over tomorrow!
Happy Anniversary Linda, I do that nagging wife thing too sometimes, it' hard to let go and leave it up to God though isn't it?
I relate to this is a big way. I'm only 17 years into marriage and still learning.
Happy Anniversary!
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