I want to feel you breathe =)

The Bible can help you breathe. The Bible points out many important factors that our spouses are not perfect people. Then, it also points out, neither are we perfect. If God can love us despite our habits that irritate him, then we should definitely follow the example.   I want to be a joy for my husband to  be around, and not a jerk. I don't want to be known as uh-oh, Hurricane Heather is here, I want to be the calming breeze before the storm... and never have to show the storm. Let God handle the storm. You know the saying, "Don't tell God how Big your storm is, tell the Storm how Big your God is."

     I try hard to speak to the storm, "peace, be still" and throw my cares on the LORD.  I'm thankful for days where I can sit at home and enjoy my still time. The time to hear myself think and breathe. Lately here my husbands off weekends aren't so off. We are off, and not at the house to enjoy our breathing room with each other. You can get so on the go, and before you know it, busy schedules start to conflict and add extra stress. I know I have been gasping for air for some time now and beyond ready to add some margin time to my schedule.

     This is really another area of a work in progress. Recently I was overly sensitive and cranky at a situation that we found ourselves in because of lack of rest. My husband works swing shift. It's hard for me to mention or talk to him unless I'm face to face with him. I took him out to lunch today and reminded him I might have a potential wedding to shoot on a certain date. In the middle of our conversation, the phone rang. Did he ignore the call? NO. He picked it up.

     I took him out to lunch so I could talk to him in person and enjoy twenty minutes of our time before he has to go back to sleep. He spent ten minutes of it on the phone. I did respond very pleasantly back to Bert. I tried talking it out nicely with him in the car on the way home when he finally got off of the phone. I usually would have really flipped out over him taking time away from me. But I discussed it rationally. I told him that we have several people that don't mind telling us that they are eating and talking to their spouse about something important, can we call them back if we call them and they are eating. It's not rude to let someone off of the phone if you are eating and talking with your wife about an important date.

     Then I get home and read my love dare about love not being irritable. WOW. Yesterday's not being rude dare had rubbed off on me. I rationally told my husband that I was wanting some time with him. Not with him on the phone at lunch.

     During the middle of my love dare and reflecting on this devotion, someone started walking up our driveway. Without showing irritation, I asked them if I could help them. It was an upset woman asking to use a phone to have someone come pick her up. I let her make three calls. Trying not to show my irritation as I heard each conversation, I let her call whom she needed. I hate seeing anyone upset. As she left her mother called back. Asking me if she needed any medical attention, I told her no. Then she said she would pay me $100 to bring her home, because her daughter needed an intervention. I explained to her my husband had to be at work shortly and not knowing where they lived, my husband would need his car for work, and that I'd gladly take her home if he was not working. With him in the car of course. I told her I would take her home for her without expecting a payment in return. She then said God Bless and asked where her daughter was heading. I explained. But I wasn't going to get involved completely in that situation. All I was told to do was to pray at the end. And that is exactly what I will do. Usually I would have asked the person to leave our property and that I would call the cops. We don't have a good group of people that live down the street from us. I stay out of that trouble. But I felt that God was telling me to help her out. And that she was someones daughter. Low and behold the mother was very sweet to me on the phone. I'm glad I listened to God and wasn't rude or irritable with her.

     This love dare teaches us to apply daily routines to our spouse as well as others. If we could all lend a helping hand to one another and not be so irritable. This dare teaches us to love one another as Christ loved us. We all have rough days of stress and sleep deprivation. Thank  you Lord for today's dare. For really opening up my eyes again and allowing me to not be so quick to react to situations. I love how each dare builds to the next and how you can easily apply it in areas of your daily routines.

     I need to build areas of margin into my life. I have way too much activity, always having constant change, too many choices of places and friends and people to see, talk on the phone with ect. Somedays it seems as if I have an overload. I do this to myself because I want to get the most out of my life. That sounds selfish. And at times, it's over whelming. I will admit. I can identify with Job 3:26, "I have no peace, I have no quiet. I have no rest and trouble keeps coming." I'm sure I'm not the only Christian who can identify with that verse. Christian women create margin. I have decided today to discuss with my husband on a time where he and I can both just lay on the couch and listen to each other breathe. Even if we our lost in thought. We don't have to speak to each other, just listen to the quietness of the house and be still. It would be nice if we could clear a fifteen minute daily routine of doing this in the morning and in the evening. Just to clear our heads and feel at home in our home together. I want to have peace, I want to have quiet, I want to rest, and I don't want trouble always knocking at my door. And I want to keep this area of margin as centered as I can with my husband and the Lord in it.