I was crabby tonight. Not enough sleep and lack of time management produce stress, especially during the dinnertime hour, which has enough chaos of its own. And it's the kids who get the brunt of it. I get snappy and huffy about simple questions or them just being kids. 

I finally slowed down and apologized for my attitude, but the stress still remained, suppressed just below the surface. Instead of rearing it's ugly head again, though, it was obliterated by the kind words of a 5 year old. And let me first mention here that dinner sucked. It did. The garlic mashed potatoes were good, but the chicken thighs & spaghetti squash {sometimes trying new things is overrated} were not. We are not squash people. It's time to just embrace that fact. The kids were good sports and at least tried it. 

So after all that {we're getting ready to go to church, by the way. Gotta love that.}, Ruby clears her plate, looks at me with a big smile and says, "thanks for dinner!"

Thanks for dinner.

Never mind that I was crabby and snappy and ran around like a frazzled manic all the while I was prepping dinner, only to find that the product was sub par and kinda gross. Thanks for dinner.

A kind word really does turn away wrath. I melted at that statement & saw myself for what I was. I thanked her repeatedly for her kind words and for loving me when I was being so unloveable. Jesus had given her eyes to see through all the yuck to the person inside. May He give all of us eyes to see people as He does.