I have a fool proof system which tells me when I am being annoying. It’s my teenage daughter. Level one annoyances might merit a smirk from her. Level two gets the eye roll. But when I am full on annoying I get the eye roll plus a loud “Oh my goo-ood-ness." The goodness is exaggerated and elongated to include more syllables than the word actually contains, so there is no confusion on my part.
As her dad, I understand there is a balance of being a parent that cares what she thinks and being a parent that knows she'l thank me later. But there is also another continuum, where as an inquisitive mind, I stir the pot and see how much I can push her before I start to get eye rolls from her mom. I've had plenty of time to learn the non-verbal communication system from the wife.
"Oh my goodness" doesn’t just come out when I’m an annoyance. It comes out whenever the teenage daughter is annoyed by anything, which could be dumb drivers who chose to leave their house 5 minutes before we left our house. It could also be something as mundane as her siblings choosing to exhale too loudly. Silly mouth breathers!
"Oh my goodness" doesn’t just come out when I’m an annoyance. It comes out whenever the teenage daughter is annoyed by anything, which could be dumb drivers who chose to leave their house 5 minutes before we left our house. It could also be something as mundane as her siblings choosing to exhale too loudly. Silly mouth breathers!
This communication system of my teen daughter may even come out at times of real injustice. But much like the boy who cried wolf, I tend to not hear her cries of exasperation anymore. (Don't tell her. She still thinks I hang on every word.)
The truth is, this teen girl is pretty special to me. I do hear her heart. I even agree with many of the things she finds unjust. Where we disagree are my judgments. When she seems surprised, I remind her that I would hold some more of her opinions if her opinions were logical. Aaand there's the eye roll.
But she’s not the only one I can see rolling eyes and exhaling exasperation. I can see it in God as He scolds the Israelites through the prophet Isaiah. What follows is something I believe should be required reading for every Christian who has gotten too comfortable playing church, something I imagine God finds annoying.
But she’s not the only one I can see rolling eyes and exhaling exasperation. I can see it in God as He scolds the Israelites through the prophet Isaiah. What follows is something I believe should be required reading for every Christian who has gotten too comfortable playing church, something I imagine God finds annoying.
10 Listen to the Lord, you leaders of “Sodom.”
Listen to the law of our God, people of “Gomorrah.”
11 “What makes you think I want all your sacrifices?”
says the Lord.
“I am sick of your burnt offerings of rams
and the fat of fattened cattle.
I get no pleasure from the blood
of bulls and lambs and goats.
12 When you come to worship me,
who asked you to parade through my courts with all your ceremony?
13 Stop bringing me your meaningless gifts;
the incense of your offerings disgusts me!
As for your celebrations of the new moon and the Sabbath
and your special days for fasting—
they are all sinful and false.
I want no more of your pious meetings.
14 I hate your new moon celebrations and your annual festivals.
They are a burden to me. I cannot stand them!
15 When you lift up your hands in prayer, I will not look.
Though you offer many prayers, I will not listen,
for your hands are covered with the blood of innocent victims.
16 Wash yourselves and be clean!
Get your sins out of my sight.
Give up your evil ways.
17 Learn to do good. Seek justice. Help the oppressed.
Defend the cause of orphans. Fight for the rights of widows.
~Isaiah 1:10-17
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