Life Lessons with Lindsay

Three weeks ago we ordered tile to have our leaking shower redone. On the day we ordered we were told that there was a two week lead time on delivery. Today I called to check on the status of the tile only to be told that it is on back order and that it would be another two to three weeks before it came in. As I sat on the phone with the very nonchalant store representative I felt my temper rising. I quickly ended the call.

Once off of the call my sweet, handsome baby boy remarked that “crash-out Lindsay” almost came out. (That is what my kids call me when I allow my temper to get the best of me.) He quickly said he loved me and excused himself out of fear. As funny as this is sometimes, my kids know that sometimes I just need a few minutes to work through things quietly to get myself under control.

Big Daddy and I got wrapped up visiting with a kitchen full of teenagers, so we did not circle back to this problem until hours later. By this time I had moved past my knee jerk reaction and was able to look at the situation more reasonably. Here is how that conversation went in a very quick synopsis.

I haven’t seen another tile that I like as much as the one I ordered. Even if I find another one I like, it will most likely be a two week lead time. It is probably prudent to just be patient. Big Daddy guided me through this self reflection over our appetizer and I then came to this conclusion.

I guess I will have to be frustrated, but not mad. As we see it, there is no other ideal solution. That means there is no point of me being mad and cancelling my order. It will only create more stress for us. So, I will be frustrated, but I can’t stew in anger. It won’t do me any good.

I know tile is a small thing in life, but my reaction could have made it a big thing. I could have been rude to the little tile salesman and demanded all kinds of things that he absolutely could not provide. I could have cancelled my order and demanded a full refund but then what would I do?

In this situation many of you would say that my anger is justified. You might even be thinking that I should have demanded something to make it right. But when I can remove myself from my emotional response, I simply can’t see it that way. In truth, we have become a society of instant gratification. We have lost the art of self-control and reflection. We are told to do what makes us happy or to live our truth, but that comes at a cost to those around us. Selfishness is seeping into every nook and cranny of our world and consideration for others is becoming obsolete.

As I have told y’all before, I am still a work in progress. I may have been able to control my response today, but tomorrow “crash-out Lindsay” may make her appearance. But more and more I see God providing breathers for me. He provides me with a distraction that gives me a moment to control my emotions. He provides me with the opportunity to control how I respond to situations and people in order better show His love. Today I chose to be frustrated, not mad and I think both my and the tile salesman’s life is better for it.