So, picture this: It's a gorgeous, sunny day in old KC and I'm driving with my darling daughter Kate to buy food for our family Thanksgiving meal. We're going to a store about 10, 15 minutes away because I like it better than the store by us.
We pull into the lot, and I realize I don't have the coupon that will save us 10 percent on groceries.
Got the picture? OK. Now, imagine this: I'm cursing as though the world is coming to an end, fuming over the "wasted" time, and sulking about having to drive all the way back home and then go to the icky store by us. I am slamming mad -- unreasonably, loudly, insanely angry.
Kate, on the other hand, is the model of calm, reminding me that it's a pretty day, it's not that far, it's no big deal. Suggesting that possibly I need to breathe.
Yeah, well. Instead of breathing, I yank the car into reverse and pull out. And, as we leave the parking lot, we pass:
1. A homeless family holding up a sign asking for help.
2. A woman walking back to her car who is clearly fighting cancer -- she's wearing a pink T-shirt and has a pink stocking cap covering her bald head. And, fyi, she's smiling.
"Mom," Kate says, "I think someone is sending you a message."
I got the message, and I'm sharing it. During this crazy, busy time of year, it's good to remember that we're lucky people. Lucky, lucky people. And it is a wonderful life.
3 comments:
Love this and needed it right now. Thank you!
Because deep in my being is a really cranky, whiny guy, God regularly thumps me on the back of the head with realizations such as you describe. Discipline administered by a God who loves you is just a temporary, painful compliment.
I am reminded of the quote that is on my frig (and which I obviously do not read often enough)
“Be kinder than necessary because everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle.”
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