I’m patient as long as what I want is happening.  But let my schedule or plan get discombobulated and I can become a bear… a poppa bear… a hungry poppa bear woken up from a nap.

Pam, Amy, Britton, and I went to Nashville last week to see Trey play basketball.  I met P, A, & B (Shorthand for family names) in Athens.  They were ahead of schedule!  We had plenty of time to get to the gym for warm-ups before the game.  So I settled back for a leisurely ride.  THEN four things happened and I went from a smoldering ember to a raging fire (I relate this to my embarrassment).

ASIDE: I relate this to my embarrassment for a few reasons.  1) To remind us all that we have to constantly be on our guard.   2) It doesn’t take much for us to stumble.  3) None of us are beyond simple things causing us to fail.  4) Our failures are against God {Worst of all}.  5) Our failures wound others (That hurts a lot).

Back to the five things.   Amy’s order wasn’t in the sack I got from Chic-Filet (I got jipped!).  Second… Now we’d have to stop… AGAIN.  Third… the exit we took required a several mile drive into a podunk town for food.  Fourth… Outside Brentwood, TN traffic came to a standstill.  Fifth… I started looking at my watch (Big mistake).

To top it all off P, A, & B were cutting up, laughing, and having a good ole time (While I steamed).  With each minute I got more and more frustrated.  We’d miss warm ups.  Then… we’d miss tip-off.  Then… we’d miss who knows how much of the game.  Then… we’ll might miss the whole game!  That’s when it happened.  That’s when I blew it.

One of my family asked me a simple, innocuous question.  I answered in a low grumble.  In an attempt to lighten my mood their reply was funny.  And that’s when I made a comment under my breath.  Note to self: When you can’t hear well… what you think is a whisper is to other people normal conversation.  They heard what I said and it shut them down.  The hilarity was gone.  The kidding was over.  The laughter was silenced.  BECAUSE OF ME.

Immediately I knew: 1) I’d failed God miserably.  2) I had wounded three people I love dearly.  3) Guilt flooded my spirit.  4) Satan and his demons were laughing at me.  I felt a little of the sting Peter must have felt after denying Christ (just a little).

I did what I could to make things right (Repented to all three & a plus factor)… but damage was done.  And it grieved me deeply.  I have been having to do battle from that moment to now (Friday morning).  Satan keeps reminding me of my failure… whispering in my ear how stupid I am… how unworthy I am… and a host of other things.  I keep throwing Romans 8:1 at him.

Lesson/request: Learn from this little story.  Stay on your guard.  If you fail… repent and do all you can to make it right.  And “don’t let a root of bitterness spring up and defile many.”