Some of you may not know that I have an addiction problem. I am hopelessly addicted to coffee. If I don’t get my daily dose, it probably is not safe for you to come near. That is why, when at the unreasonable hour of 5 am and Mr. Coffee wasn’t being cooperative, I about had a melt-down. Mr. Coffee is my friend. Friends aren’t supposed to let you down! Yet, somehow I did not hear that magical morning melody of percolating brew. Where was that scrumptious aroma I knew would help jumpstart my day?
My husband, Sam, sensed something wrong all the way from our bedroom. He bravely ventured where no man has gone before: the unsafe zone of Tracy starting her day minus her morning caffeine infusion. I really was about to whine, and whine some more before Sam rescued me from such a fate. He emerged from the bedroom and inquired what was wrong. Isn’t he courageous? I tried not to be whiny, but I know I was a bit pouty. All right, maybe more than a bit if truth be told.
My lip might have popped out a little as I explained, “The coffee pot is broken. I think we need a new one.” I left unasked but hopefully thought, “Will you go get one? It is not safe for me to be in public without having had coffee yet.”
I didn’t have to ask. Sam rescued me with his words, “I’ll go to Starbucks and get some coffee.” Wow! He gets the Serving Husband Award! 5 am-ish and Sam got dressed and head out to Starbucks. I continued my morning quiet time, anxiously awaiting the sweet, aromatic brew that would soon be coursing through my veins. Gosh, it sure was taking a long time.
Sam arrived after patiently waiting for the Starbucks crew to brew our coffee. He arrived home with $18 less in his pocket than he had left with. Dang, those carafes are expensive. Still, it was worth every penny. That is, until.
Sam further explored what was the matter with my friend, Mr. Coffee. The only thing wrong with Mr. Coffee was that he was a little thirsty. You see, I had forgotten to put water in the coffee maker so that my friend could actually brew something. Sam and I got quite a good chuckle out of that one. In all my years of consuming java, forgetting the water was a new one on me.
If you ever want to know what grace looks like, refer back to this photo of my husband. He could have gotten mad at me (it was 5 am after all). He could have muttered a thing or two under his breath. He could have chosen many a response. Instead, he chose to extend grace to his wife. Sam even let me take a photo of him to capture what grace looks like as we shared a funny morning moment.
How has someone extended grace toward you?
How did that impact you?
How did that impact your relationship with that person?