VICTORY

I had a major victory last night and I need to tell you about it. Jeff owed me BIG and I didn't demand payment!! I will explain. I help Jeff in the kitchen down at the lodge whenever I can. He asked me yesterday if I would make a specific casserole for brunch today. I had been sick this week and wasn't sure that I was up to it, but I thought why not. The plan was for me to shop for the ingredients after church and then make it during Joel's nap time. I shopped for the stuff, but my plans were changed about when to make it. You see, during Joel's nap time I had to do something else for Jeff. I had to clean our entire house, because while I was out at Walmart I got a call that his mother was staying with us and she was arriving around suppertime!! I spent the whole afternoon cleaning the house. It really needed it, so I am not complaining that I had to do it, it was just the timing that was bad. This Sunday was Jeff's total day of work. He got to work around 7:45am and never quit until about 7:30 pm. (He had three meals to make, clean up after and make a lot of stuff for the upcoming week.) I tell you this, because since I didn't make the casseroles during Joel's nap time I had no one to watch Joel so that I could get them done. My mother-in-law arrived right on time. The children and I spent the evening with her. My plans to put the children to bed early.......didn't happen! Not only was Grandmother here, but it was soccer night!! Every Sunday night at 7:30, there is a soccer game. Three of my children and their father were up at the soccer game. Jeff was playing, so he still couldn't watch Joel! I finally got everyone to bed around 9:45. At about 10:00 I headed to the kitchen to make 7 casseroles that had to be made the night before the brunch. I must say that my attitude was not great. I knew that I would not get home until midnight now. I spent some much needed time in prayer before I started work. I just confessed my bad attitude, asked the Lord to change it and asked Him to bless my time in the kitchen. Here is where the victory part comes in. I was still kind of wrestling with my attitude toward Jeff, imagine all that I did for him and he still went and played soccer!! I was going to make him feel bad for choosing soccer over helping me, by reminding him of all that I had done for him today. He was going to see how wonderful I was and how selfish he was. (I have a twisted mind!) The Lord so sweetly spared me that action. He gently said, "Do you want My approval and praise or do you want Jeff's?" I realized right then that I wanted God's approval and I knew that I really wasn't going to get either doing things my way. I would bite my tongue and treat Jeff with the utmost love and respect. God is SO good! Not two minutes after I had made that decision, Jeff walked into the kitchen (he still had to mop)! I did exactly as I said I would. I never mentioned a thing and I spoke to him with a smile on my face. It was rather easy to do it, I was actually happy on the inside too! After the mopping was done, Jeff went home to shower and to eat supper and I kept working. At about 11:30, Jeff called me just to check on me and to tell me that he LOVED me. I had WON!! I kept my mouth quiet and I got the approval of BOTH God and Jeff!!! It has never felt better to keep my attitude right and my mouth silent!