Convicted by a Commerical

Last Updated on March 20, 2018

Being a “Tarheel” (UNC) basketball fan, I was glued to March Madness. Competition was fierce among friends as we tried to beat each other in the brackets. Watching so many games, I saw a lot of advertisements. And it was an advertisement, rather than a last second “slam dunk,” that is having the most impact on my life.

This particular ad featured a young couple working with a Lowe’s Home Improvement store consultant to fix up their first house. In one scene, they were trying to paint a room when the husband suddenly knocked over a huge bucket of paint, spilling it in every direction. The wife’s response was to burst out in laughter, which made the husband laugh, too.

Something in her response struck me, and I had to ask myself, How would I have responded? Laughed like she did? No, I probably would have been irritated.

As I thought about this, I realized that when something like this happens to me, my response to my husband (or children) is often either irritation or clear frustration. It usually occurs when it’s something small like forgetting to bring in the trash cans or not making a requested phone call or getting lost on the way to someplace important.

Without realizing it, these two responses — frustration or irritation — have over time subtly become my “default mode,” even when something little happens. Yikes. I don’t think this makes me very much fun to live with. I’d much rather be a woman who laughs.

Laughter lessens tension. Laughter can avoid conflict. This is not to say that we avoid issues that need to be dealt with; however, often the best response can be a burst of laughter. I’m often reminded of Proverbs 31: 25, which, referring to a noble woman, says, “Strength and dignity are her clothing, and she laughs at the time to come.” I not only want to laugh (rather than fear) the future, but I want to laugh more in the present! I want God to change my “default mode” from that of frustration or irritation to that of laughter!