Thursday, May 11, 2006
The Witching HourWe all know it... husband not home yet, whiny toddler clinging to your thigh, hungry baby wanting to nurse, you are trying that new recipe in which your kitchen is a disaster and the meal may be as well, telemarketers are calling, children pleading "can we watch a movie?" to which you yell "NO!"... everybody's tired and you'd almost put them to bed if it wasn't for the fact that they are starving, as are you. You were hoping to get a chance to put on a little make-up before he gets home but that's the last thing on your mind now- All of your patience and grace that you had proudly exhibited throughout the day is thrown out the window... again.
I was out with some friends last night and heard a story about a woman who whenever she got hurt would say "Thank you Jesus". As I was trying to decide if that seemed over-the-top I realized she had a completely different understanding of suffering and in fact inconvenience that most people have. I asked, "Would she say that if she locked her keys in her car too?" I've been wondering about that woman all day today. Do I have the strength to THANK GOD for annoyances? Another friend had commented "you know that makes sense because you have to go through the suffering one way or another so you might as well offer it up and thank the Lord for the opportunity."
I have this picture in my mind of how the evening should go... Husband enters the door and there is soft but cool music playing, children are bathed, house is clean, there are flowers on the table with a really yummy healthy dinner, I look halfway decent (not like a tired hag at only 25) and I greet him at the door with get ready for this... a smile, and of course a kiss. But I am thinking now maybe God has a different view of that than I do. Maybe He wants me to be pushed, challenged, inconvenienced, and frustrated. Of course it is good to plan well and do what you can to avoid the witching part of the witching hour, but every woman I know experiences it as usually the roughest part of the day, the climax of daily toil and trial. When mine comes tonight I am going to try to say "Thank you Jesus" when I reach my breaking point. I am kind of nervous for that. Like I won't be able to feel thankful when I say it. But I think the important thing is that I say it. And if when my husband comes home the house is not as nice as I wished, and I didn't get a chance to spruce up my appearance, maybe if I still smile, the rest won't matter anyway.
~Hope Schneir writes from Fillmore, California
Labels: Reflections
one of us ::
4:05 PM ::
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