We’re at our cabin this week for the 4th of July with most of our family who will arrive for a long weekend. The mountains are beautiful this time of year, and it’s the first time we’ve actually seen the wild rhododendrons in full bloom adjoining our property since purchasing Barefoot Cabin two years ago. I had begun to think that maybe they didn’t bloom, but was I wrong! They are breathtaking.

If you have ever taken a drive along the Blue Ridge Parkway you are regularly greeted with invitations to stop at overlooks on the side of the road.

Photo Credit: TripAdvisor.com

This probably serves two purposes–one, to give you the opportunity to see something you might otherwise miss. And two, get you off the road so you don’t cause an accident when you take your eyes off of the road to see the view you didn’t stop to see. 🙂

This made me think about the following verse found in Proverbs 19:11

Good sense makes one slow to anger, and it is his glory to overlook an offense. ESV (emphasis mine)

Maybe when we choose to overlook an offense it’s like this…

• …we act on good sense stopping along the road for the safety of our marriage. Doing so allows us to pause and consider what really matters–it’s our relationship that matters most–not winning the argument.
• …we are given the opportunity to see something we might have missed if we continued driving full speed ahead into a conflict. How often I have realized that what I thought was intentional on Tom’s part in a conflict was really nothing more than a misunderstanding. Pausing to see and reflect gives us a clearer picture of what we’re facing. And you know what? Most of the time what I discover is so precious it takes my breath away. I come away with a deeper understanding of the man I married and what a gift our differences are to our relationship, not a hindrance.

Have you ever chosen to “overlook” an offense, stopping to appreciate the view on your road of marriage thus far? Or have you experienced the pain of forging ahead holding tightly to your steering wheel determined to white-knuckle your point of view? I have done both, and to be honest the former is the good sense Proverbs is talking about. And I’ve seen some things I’m so grateful I didn’t miss.

What’s the view like on your marriage journey? I encourage you to take those invitations to stop and overlook often. The views are amazing!