I lost my cool yesterday.
I know that surprises many of you since pastors are not supposed to do that but we are to always be cool, calm, and collected.
HOWEVER, the “lost cool” was not directed at a person. Unless you consider AI a person (I don’t) or technology in general (I definitely don’t). 🙂
Here is how it went down. The past three or four days I have been dropping internet on my office computer. On. Off. On. Off. On. Off. You get my drift. Send something and it goes. Turn around and try to send something else and the operative word becomes “try.” You guessed it. “I’m sorry connection timed out.” G-r-r-r-r. Honestly, I am much more patient with people than I am with technology. Compound that with the same kind of stuff at home and you have a volcano waiting to erupt. Okay…not erupt but simmer. I didn’t lose my religion, i.e. say words I shouldn’t say. I finally did something else. I went to make breakfast. But lo, and behold, my frustrations carried over. I dropped an egg shell on the floor. The worst part? I turned the wrong burner on and couldn’t figure out why the butter wouldn’t melt. Oh…the butter didn’t but the cover over the wrong burner began to get this smell and now has a black burn circle on it. Shhh, don’t tell anyone I did that. Oops, that is the second burner I have done that too! 🙂
Working in the kitchen or with technology shows my incompetence. I once had someone tell me, “Bill, you are technologically-challenged.” I couldn’t argue with that logic! And I know I am kitchen-challenged. You want water burned? I’m your man! You want a nice meal? Well…you know the answer to that.
I’m glad God’s acceptance of me is not determined by my incompetence in the kitchen or with technology or with life in general. Romans 7:14-21 (please take time to read it) says more about me than I care to admit. I will never measure up. I will always be sinfully-challenged. But the latter end of that passage in verses 24-25 says, “Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death? Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord.” (NLT)
I know I will lose my cool again. I try not to but there is this battle inside of me that rages. I suspect I am not alone?
You are definitely not alone in this one, Bill. We all have those moments when we feel “less than” and get frustrated/upset. Maybe, it’s because we’re human? But Paul knew the solution and, thankfully, we do, too. Thanking Jesus for His patience as I type.
Blessings!
I have those days when typing is a real chore and challenge! 🙂 🙂
Paul is good at calling himself out but also letting us know that we all have the same faults, and we are always fighting our sinful flesh. Romans 7-14 I wish I would have that verse memorized when I was growing up. That way when I was in trouble, and asked why did I do what I did, and mom never excepted IDK, I could have quoted that verse. Maybe, maybe, my lack of poor judgement and decision making would have been met with a little more mercy from my mom.
You made me chuckle Gail. Great way to rationalize. 🙂 I’m guessing it would have worked as well for you as it would have for me with my mom.
I don’t recall my email address anymore…
But then I have to always double check that I turn off the burner on the gas stove when I use it. My bed is directly behind that wall. 😐
Then there were the times I used to bang my noggin, or what’s left of it on the garage door.
(to be continued)….
Forget much Ed? 🙂