Don't Be An @$$!
Below is a hypothetical situation and conversation between LT and one of our daughters. "Which daughter " is irrelevant because the flow of this conversation happens quite often... and much to my chagrin, often times I can be substituted for "her".
LT: "What do you want for dinner? We -..."
DAUGHTER/TC: (Cutting him off) "I'll have chicken noodle soup."
LT: "Are you sure?"
DAUGHTER/TC: "Yes!! I'm so hungry! I'm positive! I'd like the chicken noodle soup, please."
LT: Alright. Chicken noodle soup it is.
LT goes and prepares the chicken noodle soup that she requested. Later, he ladled her soup into a bowl. She thanks him because she has exactly what she requested: chicken noodle soup.
LT returns to the kitchen and prepares everyone else's dinner: smoked bbq ribs, potato salad, veggies and hot, homemade dinner rolls with butter.
Immediately noticing the difference between the two meals and realizing she made an unsavory, hasty choice, she begins salivating at the sight of and desiring the other plates.
DAUGHTER/ME: "Really? We had ribs?! I thought we only had chicken noodle soup because that's what we had yesterday. I didn't know that you were going to make ribs! I change my mind! I want ribs!"
LT: "Nope, you made your choice. Enjoy. Eat because your soup is getting cold".
Now some people (most likely my fellow mothers and women) will say something like "Aww. Poor, baby! She's entitled to change her mind. Give her the ribs." Or "LT could have told her all the options so that she could have made an informed decision."
Now enters the WHOAments:
LT was about to give her all the options, but he couldn't because she interrupted. The Bible says that answering before hearing the message is both foolish and insulting.
"He who answers a matter before he hears it,It is folly and shame to him."
~ Proverbs 18:13 (NKJV)
Had she been willing to hear LT and slower to answer, she would have been able to make an informed decision; thus saving herself frustration and dissatisfaction.
"My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry," ~ James 1:19 (NIV)
LT tried to give her an out by asking if chicken noodle soup was her final answer. She said yes! She even said she was positive. But she wasn't.
"But let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No.’" ~ Matthew 5:37
Although it would take more time to prepare a more substantial meal than the soup, he knew what he had planned for dinner was much better than what she requested. But wanting to please her, he granted her request.
She assumed she knew what LT was going to say. And, well, we all know what they say happens when you assume:
Not a good look, hunh?
In the natural, if we would be slower to speak and quicker to listen, we would save ourselves so much heartache, pointless arguments, regret, time, money, and the list goes on. Think of all the missed blessings and opportunities because we either assumed or interrupted. Not to mention the feelings of the person we are insulting by not listening to what they had to say.
**Married folks, think of all the silent nights because we assumed what our spouse would say or do and we were completely wrong. Think of their disappointment because they weren't heard.**
Far too many times, we treat our Heavenly Father the same way: we go to Him asking for things that we think we want or need, without considering whether it's what He desires for us (which is ALWAYS much better than we can imagine). Sometimes we don't even wait for "it" to manifest before concluding that we should settle for something else because "it" is taking too long. And not to mention the times when we receive "it" and complain, looking for ways to blame Him for giving us what we asked [or settled] for.
"Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us," ~ Ephesians 3:20 (NKJV)
I confess that I have made detrimental, hasty decisions which left me with feelings of remorse, dissatisfaction and regret. I also chose to settle for instant gratification rather than waiting for God's best to manifest in my life. But in all that, God is still faithful and just to forgive.
"If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." ~ I John 1:9 (NKJV)
Going forward, I don't want to look or act like the animal above. I want to do better! Although I know it is a process, I will purpose in my heart to be slower to speak and quicker to hear My Father and others.
Selah!
~TC