Last week, wife Martha, The Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage, had another one of her girl days with our daughter and granddaughter.
I had some office work to do so I was glad to be alone for the day. Little is more important to me than getting my work done.
I was just getting started when I realized there was a problem with the internet rendering my computer useless.
Frustrated, I didn’t know what to do with myself, but then remembered I had something to pick up across town.
Driving there I became frustrated because it seemed I caught every traffic light while it was red. I had to drive and then stop, drive another two blocks, and then stop. It was irritating.
There was no traffic coming or going at one of the red lights, and no cars were around. I sat there for a few seconds, and then I was tempted to drive on despite the red light. After all, there’s no harm if nobody’s on the street.
Although frustrated, I sat waiting for the light to turn green, not yielding to temptation, though great it was.
It was about lunchtime as I was heading back home so I thought it’d be a great time to stop at one of my favorite restaurants.
The host seated me at my favorite table, and as a faithful visitor, I didn’t need a menu since I knew what I wanted. I gave the waitress my order and she brought my coffee.
What a day it had been so far, I thought, but now, things will start going my way.
I don’t always experience this, but today, I’m going to celebrate that it’s finally happening to me.
I was sitting there drinking my coffee and anticipating my lunch of a loaded cheeseburger and French fries when the waitress returned and put a plate in front of me.
When I saw that plate, I gasped in horror. I’ve never seen such a terrible plate of food in my life. How can my day get worse?
In the center of that plate before me was some of the worst vegetables I’ve ever seen — broccoli. The fact that this waitress brought me a plate with broccoli made me realize my day hadn’t improved as much as I thought.
While I was gasping, the waitress turned around, started gasping, and said, “Oh, I’m sorry. That’s not your plate; it’s for the table on the other side of you.”
Finally, my real plate came, and as I ate, I thought of what a snarky day this has been. What is going to happen between now and when I get home?
Where are my apple fritters — my comfort food — when I need them? As I was driving home I was reminded of a verse Proverbs.
“He that is slow to wrath is of great understanding: but he that is hasty of spirit exalteth folly.”
— Proverbs 14: 29
One of the great challenges for me is patience. I can be patient when everything is going my way, but that’s not patience. I need to practice the “slow to wrath” part of my life.
Dr. Snyder is a former pastor who lives with the Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage, wife Martha, in Ocala, Fla. Contact him by email at jamessnyder51@ gmail.com.
