The Missed Call- WWJD

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Tina had been busy all morning — cleaning, running errands, and trying to get ahead on her day. She hadn’t looked at her phone in hours. When she finally picked it up, she saw several missed calls and a text message from her husband.

The message read:

“So you can’t answer your phone now? 
You just ignore me?”

Tina felt her chest tighten.

*Really? 
After everything I do? 
Why is he talking to me like this?*

Her first instinct was to fire back a message that matched his tone. 
Her pride rose. 
Her irritation flared. 
Her fingers hovered over the screen.

But then — a quiet nudge in her spirit.

Pause.

Tina took a breath and remembered the question she had been practicing:

What would Jesus do — not in a sermon, not in a parable, but right here, in a moment where someone she loves is reacting from emotion?

Would He match tone for tone? 
Would He defend Himself? 
Would He escalate the moment? 
Would He let pride lead?

No.

Jesus would respond with:
– calmness 
– clarity 
– compassion 
– truth 

So Tina deleted the message she had typed and wrote instead:

“Hey, I’m okay. I’ve been busy all morning and didn’t realize how much time passed. I’m not ignoring you. I’ll call you in a minute.”

She hit send.

Not because she was wrong. 
Not because she was submitting to chaos. 
But because she was choosing peace over pride.

Later, when they talked, her husband admitted:

“I just didn’t know where you were. I thought something happened.”

Fear, not anger, had been speaking.

And Tina realized she had responded exactly the way Jesus would have wanted her to.

SCRIPTURE THAT ANCHORS THE STORY

Proverbs 15:1 
A gentle answer turns away wrath.

Ephesians 4:2 
Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.

Romans 12:18 
If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.

 REFLECTION — “Responding to Frustration with Grace”

There are moments when someone’s tone hits us harder than their words. 
Moments when we feel misunderstood, unappreciated, or unfairly accused. 
Our instinct is to defend ourselves, match energy, or withdraw.

But Christlike wisdom teaches us something different:

Pause before you react. 
Seek the heart behind the tone. 
Respond with clarity, not combat.

Sometimes the person who sounds angry is actually afraid. 
Sometimes the person who sounds demanding is actually insecure. 
Sometimes the person who lashes out is actually longing for reassurance.

Jesus never reacted to tone — He responded to truth.

This reflection reminds us that:
– peace is a choice 
– gentleness is strength 
– clarity is protection 
– and love is not weakness 

When we respond with calm authority instead of emotional retaliation, we shift the atmosphere. We protect the relationship. We honor God.

Christlike love doesn’t avoid conflict — it transforms it.