Husbands, Chores and Breaks – Oh My!
“I wish that I felt like doing something around the house when I get home.” If ever I needed an excuse to smack my husband in the head then this was the perfect excuse. Maybe he did not intend for his words to be so insulting, but they were.
I did not hit him. With restraint that is usually reserved for those Zen type masters in the movies I did not even SAY anything. I chose to actually listen to his words and then meditate on why they had caused such a stir in my heart.
The truth is there are days when I do not feel like doing anything around the house. Some of those days I do what has to be done anyway. Other days I give into the feelings and choose to sit and watch T.V., take a hot bath or just do nothing. It is only ONE DAY! Does it really hurt anything?
Taking a break does not cause the end of the world unless you are Atlas. Those of us that are mere mortals can take a time out and it will not be detrimental – unless the time out becomes the normal way of doing things instead of the exception. The break also can not come over doing the things I know have to be done. That is when the time out becomes procrastination that that is NEVER a good thing.
Society tells us that it is all about “me.” The driving force should be how it makes me feel. The world revolves around the “I” of it all.
God does not view things in the same way that the world or society views it. His focus is on the neighbor and not the self.
These are the thoughts that were whirling around my mind after my husband made his comment. The truth of the situation is that there are times when I want a break. The Spirit of the situation is that when I am doing things the way God wants me to do them then I have the time, the energy and even the desire to get them done.
In the end I determined that the problem with the statement that my husband made that day. My actions and my attitude can not be driven by how I feel. I must look to God and allow my actions and my attitude to begin driving my feelings.
so true! WAY too often, I am overridden by
feelings. thank you for this post. it was a blessing to me this morning.
Glad the words blessed you. So often God speaks to me through my own words and always through the comments. Thanks for taking the time to share.
Hi there, Kathryn.
Men seem to have an innate ability to relax. Once, when resentment crept in while I worked and my husband watched television, I realized I was blaming him for the workload I imposed upon myself. I was working from morning until late at night at the time, doing every little thing and giving myself no rest. I made some changes after my realization, and now I take a little time for me here and there. I’m happier, and so is my husband. He pitches in more now when he sees a need, which I think is good for us both.