Naggable Offenses

My DH (web-speak for dear husband) is a constant source of entertainment for me. I honestly think he is one of the major reasons I was able to live through a breast cancer diagnosis, chemotherapy, and subsequent surgeries without losing even more of my mind. We have a real compatibility - and yet can attack and parry with the best of them with our razor-edged tongues. Once a source of slight discomfiture for our kids, they now see it for what it is - pure playful entertainment.

This morning I was nagging reminding DH for the upteenth time, about a small thing he needs to take care of - it involves carrying two containers from point A to point B. These boxes are too heavy for me and they have to do with his job, so this is undeniably his thing. In an attempt to cajole him into doing his duty - just one more time (sigh) - I mentioned it to him as he was walking out the door. That's when he coined the phrase - naggable offenses. You know, those simple tasks that would involve a miniscule amount of time - yet they seldom get done with just one request. You see, nagging, in its true sense is repetitive requests that have more to do with optional behavior. Sit up straight, get a haircut, go visit your grandmother, find a nice girl, etc. A 'naggable' offense, then, is the 'naggee's' fault. It's apparent to any right-thinking individual that, if these small tasks were done at the time of the request, there would be no need for repetition - and thus cause the aforementioned nagging.

This got me thinking about how many naggable offenses we have accumulated over the course of our lives in our relationship with God. I found myself thinking of those times that we hear the Holy Spirit whisper to our hearts. Go to confession, get up and go to weekday Mass, visit the sick, write a thoughtful note to someone who seems sad - the list could (and does) go on and on. What if we jumped into action as soon as we became aware of these opportunities? Or perhaps we could even become more sensitive to the call to do good. Wouldn't it be wonderful if we started inventing great things to do in service to others - and therefore to God? But our God is a loving and patient God. He continues to give us opportunity after opportunity, even if we are slow to respond. If we are truly working toward bettering our relationship with Him, however, it's necessary to stimulate our awareness of what it is that He desires of us. These naggable offenses weaken our souls and desensitise our consciences as we tuck them away into our minds like unruly children. In our quest for Eternal life, let us resolve to heighten our listening skills, not to put off for tomorrow what we are called to do today and to willingly serve our loving Creator.