Offended

A good friend of mine said something at a ladies night a while back that has recently come back up in my mind and has stuck with me. She told us that 'being offended is a choice'. Man, I have never forgotten it. I have not chosen to live that way until recently.

 

What people say is not your choice, but you have the choice not to take offense to it. Just thinking about that lifts me from many unnecessary bad attitudes.

 

It helps me see pass the words that people choose. At first they may hurt my feelings, but only if I let them! My fight is not against the person. There words and actions cant hurt me, and I am choosing not to be offended.

 

I have to take a step back from the situation, before I say my first reaction, step away and tell my self "I am not offended by this. It is ok."

 

Just yesterday I had to put this into practice! Once I am convicted on something, I can guarantee that God will put me into many situations that will require me to test my endurance and stamina in that area. So I better be ready! Lord I hope I am! I think I am! It has really been on my heart and mind. (I remember when I first became a Christian, and was convicted on my patience, He made me sit at the doctors office for 3 hours.... just in the waiting room!! For a 5 minute check up from having my appendix removed!! Sheesh!! That was killer!)

 

I had been ironing our clothes all day Friday; B's shirt, my pants, my shirt, L's pants, L's shirt. Lots of other stuff along with it. I was kinda going crazy and decided it best that we have creases in our pants. So we would all match. Our shirts coordinated, they didn't match 100% but went together, the way family pictures are suppose too. I have never done this before, so I would say there was a small part of me going bizurk!

 

Yesterday as we were getting ready for our family pictures, I reminded B that he needed to pick out his pants and iron them, with creases. He did and then got irritated because the iron put a stain on them and he had to choose a different pair. Then he said that "we don't all have to have creases in our pants and look like the Brady Bunch". I told him (in a sincere voice - because I meant it) that was fine, to do whatever he felt he needed to do. Because in my head I was thinking that if he choose not to have creases, I would just iron out our creases. I would just take care of what I thought was the problem my self. I avoided the argument and chose NOT to be offended.

 

Granted, I may have to step into the bath room and said (in my head) "I am not Mrs. Brady Bunch, I don't even know what that means. They don't dress the same! I am NOT offended by that. It IS ok. I can fix this and it will be a great day." And it was a wonderful day, and my attitude didn't fall into a funk because it only took my about 3 minutes to iron out the creases and we were all happy and I didn't hurt my husband feelings with a snide remark back because I was offended.

 

Before choosing, I would have been extremely offended. I would have blown it way out of proportion and it would have thrown our whole day into a funk, it was happened before. I certainly don't like it when I cant control my emotions, Brandon doesn't like it and I am not showing that I am a Jesus girl by letting it happen. 

 

I was able to stay focused on my blessings. It is only part of my imperfect progress that I am making.

 

This is just the start of my journey of choosing not to be offended. I am taking back control of my feelings.  As Lysa TerKeurst says in unglued:

God gave me more than just a heart to process life. He gave me a mind as well. A mind made for truth to reign supreme and to keep my heart in check. We must remember. "The heart is deceitful above all things.... I the LORD search the heart and examine the mind" (Jeremiah 17:9-10)