You Shrunk My Shirt

Lumarie Photo & Design 

It was a black dress made of the softest cotton you could find. The lace details at the top made it lay against my skin perfectly and when I spun around I felt like I was floating on air. It was the dress I wore on our 'fancy' date on our honeymoon.

Perfect and lovely until it became a shirt. 

He walked in the door after a long day of work to find me screaming my head off. How dare he not check each piece of clothing before tossing it in the mix of things to be dried on high heat. My favorite dress had become my favorite shirt.

That wasn't the last time I would find my clothes wrinkly and shrunken down to the size of a mouse either. It also wasn't the last day that he forgot to turn the dishwasher on after loading it and even putting the soap in it. And it certainly wasn't the last day that he rolled out of bed 30 minutes before he had to go out the door, leaving me alone and silent with my coffee downstairs.

I lose my temper over his eggs getting cold that I just made them. He looks at me says thank you.

And let's not even get into what happens when I'm hangry...yet he says, "What can I get you to eat?"

Lumarie Photo & Design 

I am a certified complainer - I have the shortest temper know to woman and the patience I have for the 'little' things might as well be as small as the things themselves. Yet, my guy shows me grace I could never fathom and me? Nada.

The convicting reality of it all, is that I do this stuff to God all the time, and He says you're forgiven.

If this marriage stuff is truly intended to be a living, breathing depiction of Christ and the church, I am receiving a D for effort. Grace is not a gift to only be given to a friend in a tough situation or to the dog for eating your shoe, it's a constant never ending form of love that should be shown to your beloved.

Ladies (and dudes), if you're reading this and putting praise hands emojis next to my statements and commenting with "gosh, me too" then it's time for us to step back and readjust our focus on Christ. Turn our heads away from the excuses of why we don't have the patience or time to show grace and  live out 1 Corinthians 13 in our marriages instead.

Here's to the man who shrinks my shirts - for without moments like those, I would have no idea what grace looks like when I lose my cool.

Lumarie Photo & Design

Thank you for telling me I'm beautiful when the look on myself says, "feed me now or else"

Thank you for showing me what it looks like to unconditionally love like Christ in everything you do. 

                        

In no way do I deserve your love, yet you still shout it from the rooftops. 

Thank you, Mr. 

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Lord, I am absolutely certain that I do not deserve love and forgiveness like I am shown, but you still say I am worthy. Help me to lay down my selfishness for a love that is selfless - that is never self seeking and always after ways that I can serve and respect the man that I love. When I try to be the toughest person in the room and stand my ground, bring me to my knees. Your grace may be abounding, but there is no excuse for a harsh word that stirs up anger. May my words and reactions be thought out first and always intended to build my Mr. up. Remind my that our hearts and minds work differently and that my first priority might not be his, and that is ok because marriage is not just about me - it's about us. To your name be praised - shrunken shirts and all. 

Amen.