The State of Being Offended
Good Morning Girls! I know now why the Lord gave me Friday morning off......He knew that within a 48 hour time period I would be provided with enough "material" to carry me through this whole week. In the same way Joel Osteen always opens his service, I'll copy him and say "I always like to start with something funny"............
On Friday afternoon the kids and I were at Maplewood Mall. They had just been at the Dr for their annual well child visits. It was a pretty traumatic visit. Thomas (5) needed 4 shots, and Charley (7) needed one. Normally my seven year old is the model big sister and paves the way for Thomas, making things easier on all of us. This year however, she had been working herself up for a few weeks about going to the Dr. She was insistent that this appointment was going to be "the worst day ever". And let me tell you, her vain imaginations insured that negative confession (I could end the writing right there and we could meditate on that truth). She completely freaked out and lost it, causing Thomas to completely freak out as well. I feel sorry for the mom who's little girl was in the waiting room because my kids made it sound as if they were in a CIA interrogation!
So, the mall is right across the street and I took them there to ride the big carousel and get them a treat. We stopped in the restroom on our way to get icees. Thomas washed his hands and was drying them with the paper towels that come rolling out when you trigger the sensor. He had his usual excess of paper towels in his hand when a woman about my age walked in. She looked at him and said "oh my, you are sure wasting a lot of towels." My mama bear instinct kicked in immediately. I mean who was this tree hugger that had any right to speak to my son, let alone criticize him for his paper towel usage? He is a 5 year old boy- she should have praised him for actually washing his hands! I felt myself getting very irritated. I stood imagining all the things I could say. Like "I hope you are only using one square of toilet paper". I even pictured myself tackling her as she walked by. (I've been watching a tv show where the lead character imagines how he would like to respond to a situation before he actually responds.....) I really had to fight the urge not to say "Thomas, please don't use any more paper towels, the paper police is here". Oh, it was not good. This all happened in a 15 second period of time!
And then, Joyce Meyer pops into my head. She says "the Bible says we are not to take offense". Seriously, this whole "bathroom moment" is a test on being offended?! Fine. I will not be offended. I will not say anything. I will move on with my day. I am not failing a test over some paper towel lovin', Prius driving, go green girl with ugly shoes (they were). I will keep my mouth shut. Ok, seriously at the time I thought I had purposed to pass the test. At the time I believed that not saying anything to this women was how I revealed that I was not taking offense. Yeah, Yeah, you all can see the truth, but when you are in the midst of a bathroom encounter it's hard to sort it all out. But wait, it gets worse......
I look over to my daughter who is now drying her hands at the sensor towels. She already has the amount of towels she needs, but then Thomas walks over to her and says "Charley....Look...if you stick your finger right here, more will come out". Normally, I could have cared less. I probably wouldn't have even noticed them. However, the paper police was still in the stall (did she sense the danger she was in or what...she was in there forever). I looked at Charley and said "you don't need any more. Don't do it." Charley is my obedient child. Sometimes she is such a stickler for the rules that it is painful. But not at this moment. Of course not! She looks at me, and then puts her finger to the sensor. "That's it!" I snap " You just lost your icee!". I take them out of the bathroom and interrogate her in the hallway as to why she would do such a thing even though I told her not to! It was awful. The whole time my mouth was moving my brain was saying "Jen, you don't even care about this. If that woman wouldn't have said anything you would not be having this little discussion."
Oh, it was awful. But then what was I supposed to do? Do I go back on my "punishment"? I mean she did disobey me. It was so dumb. I bought Thomas his icee, but my heart was breaking for her. I asked her if she wanted something else (I only said she couldn't have an icee, I never said she couldn't have a different treat.) I know it's pathetic but you should have seen how traumatized she was at the Dr......I'm such a softy! Besides, it was the lady's fault Charley wasn't getting her treat. She responded with "No mom. I don't deserve it." Oh great....lay on the guilt! This is really snowballing- stupid sensor towels!
We headed home and within a few minutes we were all back to normal. But the towel incident had me thinking all weekend. I wasn't thinking about the lady anymore. I was done tackling and mocking her. What I was thinking about is the moment I took offense. I realized that it occurred the moment I didn't respond as I usually would have. I usually would have smiled at the woman and said "oh, I know, they should not allow kids by those machines", or something else. Normally I wouldn't cared so much what one stranger thought. But I did. And that was the moment of revelation. The moment I realized that my heart condition is still tense and frustrated over the events of my life. The moment I realized that I needed to pray for the Lord to soften me up a bit. To bring my joy back, and to help me let go. I believe he answered those prayers because now I think this is a funny story....even though some of you may think it is sad and now you think I have a sick sense of humor.......what can I say? We all deal with life differently. I tend to laugh at inappropriate times and places- but it's better than ripping of a towel sensor and throwing it over the stall at a stranger!
James 1:19 Understand, my beloved brethren. Let every woman be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to take offense and get angry.
Waiting for the offense re-test,
Jen
ps. I like Prius' so please don't take offense if you drive one- or if you are a go green tree hugger......
On Friday afternoon the kids and I were at Maplewood Mall. They had just been at the Dr for their annual well child visits. It was a pretty traumatic visit. Thomas (5) needed 4 shots, and Charley (7) needed one. Normally my seven year old is the model big sister and paves the way for Thomas, making things easier on all of us. This year however, she had been working herself up for a few weeks about going to the Dr. She was insistent that this appointment was going to be "the worst day ever". And let me tell you, her vain imaginations insured that negative confession (I could end the writing right there and we could meditate on that truth). She completely freaked out and lost it, causing Thomas to completely freak out as well. I feel sorry for the mom who's little girl was in the waiting room because my kids made it sound as if they were in a CIA interrogation!
So, the mall is right across the street and I took them there to ride the big carousel and get them a treat. We stopped in the restroom on our way to get icees. Thomas washed his hands and was drying them with the paper towels that come rolling out when you trigger the sensor. He had his usual excess of paper towels in his hand when a woman about my age walked in. She looked at him and said "oh my, you are sure wasting a lot of towels." My mama bear instinct kicked in immediately. I mean who was this tree hugger that had any right to speak to my son, let alone criticize him for his paper towel usage? He is a 5 year old boy- she should have praised him for actually washing his hands! I felt myself getting very irritated. I stood imagining all the things I could say. Like "I hope you are only using one square of toilet paper". I even pictured myself tackling her as she walked by. (I've been watching a tv show where the lead character imagines how he would like to respond to a situation before he actually responds.....) I really had to fight the urge not to say "Thomas, please don't use any more paper towels, the paper police is here". Oh, it was not good. This all happened in a 15 second period of time!
And then, Joyce Meyer pops into my head. She says "the Bible says we are not to take offense". Seriously, this whole "bathroom moment" is a test on being offended?! Fine. I will not be offended. I will not say anything. I will move on with my day. I am not failing a test over some paper towel lovin', Prius driving, go green girl with ugly shoes (they were). I will keep my mouth shut. Ok, seriously at the time I thought I had purposed to pass the test. At the time I believed that not saying anything to this women was how I revealed that I was not taking offense. Yeah, Yeah, you all can see the truth, but when you are in the midst of a bathroom encounter it's hard to sort it all out. But wait, it gets worse......
I look over to my daughter who is now drying her hands at the sensor towels. She already has the amount of towels she needs, but then Thomas walks over to her and says "Charley....Look...if you stick your finger right here, more will come out". Normally, I could have cared less. I probably wouldn't have even noticed them. However, the paper police was still in the stall (did she sense the danger she was in or what...she was in there forever). I looked at Charley and said "you don't need any more. Don't do it." Charley is my obedient child. Sometimes she is such a stickler for the rules that it is painful. But not at this moment. Of course not! She looks at me, and then puts her finger to the sensor. "That's it!" I snap " You just lost your icee!". I take them out of the bathroom and interrogate her in the hallway as to why she would do such a thing even though I told her not to! It was awful. The whole time my mouth was moving my brain was saying "Jen, you don't even care about this. If that woman wouldn't have said anything you would not be having this little discussion."
Oh, it was awful. But then what was I supposed to do? Do I go back on my "punishment"? I mean she did disobey me. It was so dumb. I bought Thomas his icee, but my heart was breaking for her. I asked her if she wanted something else (I only said she couldn't have an icee, I never said she couldn't have a different treat.) I know it's pathetic but you should have seen how traumatized she was at the Dr......I'm such a softy! Besides, it was the lady's fault Charley wasn't getting her treat. She responded with "No mom. I don't deserve it." Oh great....lay on the guilt! This is really snowballing- stupid sensor towels!
We headed home and within a few minutes we were all back to normal. But the towel incident had me thinking all weekend. I wasn't thinking about the lady anymore. I was done tackling and mocking her. What I was thinking about is the moment I took offense. I realized that it occurred the moment I didn't respond as I usually would have. I usually would have smiled at the woman and said "oh, I know, they should not allow kids by those machines", or something else. Normally I wouldn't cared so much what one stranger thought. But I did. And that was the moment of revelation. The moment I realized that my heart condition is still tense and frustrated over the events of my life. The moment I realized that I needed to pray for the Lord to soften me up a bit. To bring my joy back, and to help me let go. I believe he answered those prayers because now I think this is a funny story....even though some of you may think it is sad and now you think I have a sick sense of humor.......what can I say? We all deal with life differently. I tend to laugh at inappropriate times and places- but it's better than ripping of a towel sensor and throwing it over the stall at a stranger!
James 1:19 Understand, my beloved brethren. Let every woman be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to take offense and get angry.
Waiting for the offense re-test,
Jen
ps. I like Prius' so please don't take offense if you drive one- or if you are a go green tree hugger......
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