Day #1: Prayers to Pray During Times of Change #YouandYourGirl series

Day 1: Lord, I Want to Be Loving

 

Day 1 of 9 | Lord, I want to be loving | 9 Prayers to Pray During Times of Change | #youandyourgirl series {May 2015} by Lynn Cowell

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” John 13:34 – 35

 

Why couldn’t he just do it my way?

 

The irritation spark fanned by my prideful thoughts combusted. Nine hours of flying plus miles of unknown roads had flat worn out our family. Looking for the easiest way to get the bags out of the car and into the quiet hotel, I offered my suggestion. {Was it suggestion? I think command-disguised-in-a-sweet-tone-of voice is more like it.)

 

Not seeing my plan as the best means of unloading our vehicle, my husband shared his idea and we embarked. While I would like to say his plan was fine with me, it was not. As we turned the corner to discover a one-way street, the turn into the parking deck came up too quick. We drove right past the entrance and the heat in my head began to smolder. If he had listened to me, we would have been in our room by now. Circling the block once again, we found our turn and came to a halt in the hotel’s garage. While finally making progress on checking in to the hotel, my girl and her friend quietly slid toward the back of the elevator. They had no idea what to do while the silence hung in the stale, city air.

 

Now would have been a good time for me to apologize for my crummy, prickly attitude. I could have chosen to move on and finish our day well. Key word: could have. Instead, the tension didn’t lessen as I continued to hang my pride on the always available hook “My way was better”.

 

He doesn’t value me whispered my heart.

 

That’s when my senses finally began to return. That was a flat out lie. My husband does value my opinion and more often than not, chooses my suggestions over his own method. My embryonic reasoning was interrupted as my man lovingly chose to part the silence. “What happened back there?” He asked. Reality finally began to break through the clouds of my demeanor. Under the pressure of environmental and time changes, I had allowed myself to become defensive. I finally saw that if I had given it a chance, love could have won a long time ago.

At the crossroads of peace and conflict,

love makes a right turn. 

 

When we are in uncomfortable, even scary, situations, being defensive can be the first reaction coming to our rescue. We can, however, learn to recognize the warning signs before we choose conflict.

 

Listen to the first whispers in your head. Combative or loving? Let’s stop our words and actions. Give ourselves a few moments and long enough to pray a simple prayer.

 

Lord, this situation makes me uncomfortable, even a bit scared. I can feel myself wanting to be defensive in order to protect my heart. Please empower me to respond in love instead. Amen

 

In the changes in your life, how are you tempted to be unloving? How can you turn around your words and attitudes to show unconditional love to those around you?

 

 
You can read all the May You and Your Girl series here.

Lynn

2 Comments

  1. What a great prayer! I want to be loving. This post made me laugh and reminded me of SO many spats my husband and I had during our cross-country road trip last summer. (Like the afternoon we drove through a BIG STORM and both had different ideas about what to do with our luggage in the back of our pick up!)

    Yes, choose love every time.

    1. Lynn Cowell says:

      Easy said, right Betsy! Lord, next time, help us DO!

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