I don’t know about you, but I can get upset at the dumbest things.

There was a time I was driving home from the gym and saw an emergency vehicle swashing near my home, and for a moment, I would stop and think, “Lord, I hope my husband’s not in that accident.”

We are so foolish when the only thing we have in front of our eyes is temporal crap. We are so full of it. We can get so frustrated over the dishes or running water. But yet, in a blink of an eye, our loved one may not be present to run the water, leave dishes in the sink, smack our ear, or hug us. We take it for granted that they are going to be there tomorrow, the next day, and the next day. We can be so mad over the dumbest things.

For example, with my husband, I get frustrated because he is defensive. If I talk to him about anything, he automatically defends himself instead of pausing and processing what I say and then talking back to me and giving me a logical statement. I can become so frustrated—but then I am not carrying the love of God. I know the minute I see an emergency vehicle and pray to God it’s not him, the defensiveness does not even matter. I clearly love the man.

If I could keep in mind the eternal perspective that life is short—it’s merely a breath—can you imagine how differently I would respond? How would I respond differently today?

I would like to challenge you today to live with this in mind: What if your loved one, your spouse, or your friend were gone tomorrow in a blink? Is there anything you would do differently? Is there anything you have said but would take back? Is there anything you’d like to stop nitpicking about? Is there any little thing in which you use your words to tear someone down but would turn around and build them up instead? Is there someone you would hug more today? Someone you would call and tell them you love them? Don’t hesitate—do it.

The next time you are frustrated about something small, pause and picture in your mind an ambulance picking them up off the ground, and then see if you want to say something about it.