Engine, Engine, Number Nine

You know, I handle irritations pretty well, if I do say so myself. That makes me feel pretty good, too, especially when I witness someone else reacting badly to some minor offense or problem. I mean, can’t you just grow up?

The thing is, some days, everything I try to do gets complicated, and when that happens, you really don’t want to be around me. My attitude goes right down the tubes. Maybe that’s hard for you to believe, but just let me tell you…

My new job requires a particular color of shirt, shoes and pants, so I’ve been looking around for them. I had some time today, and decided I would hunt them down, whatever it took. Since I was in the neighborhood, I also stopped by the local Christian bookstore to check on a book that was backordered. Both clerks agreed that it wasn’t in yet. So how come I found three copies on the shelf as I was leaving?

After purchasing the book, I continued my quest for the elusive outfit I needed. Two local department stores had nothing, so I headed a little farther from home. Halfway there, the turning lane that I needed to use was closed, so I had to go the wrong direction. But that was the only route I knew, so I had to wind around and backtrack before I could proceed on my way.

My whole day went this way. My GPS had no idea where this major new shopping center was. The attendant at the gas station I stopped at for directions barely spoke English, and she had no idea where this major new shopping center was. Directory Assistance had no phone number for this major new shopping center.

Who would have thought a major new shopping center would be so hard to find? If I had a shopping center, I think I’d want it to be hard to miss rather than hard to find. Eventually, I did stumble upon the store, but the clothing section didn’t have the clothes I needed, nor did the catalog department have the catalog I needed. Instead, I was told to go home and look on their internet site.

By now, my irritation level was at about 12 on a scale of one to ten. I’m really glad there was no-one riding with me. I wouldn’t have been good company at all. But, wait, there’s more to come. The trip home didn’t go the way I had planned, either. That meandering, mile-long road I took as I entered the shopping center took me to an unfamiliar exit when I left. By the time I found the right road, I was stuck in the wrong lane and couldn’t make the turn. That should be a simple fix, right? Just go through the intersection, find a place to turn around, and then start over. Surprise--there was no place to turn around.Instead, I found myself on the approach road to some huge stadium.

I’m really glad to be home.

I took a photo a while ago of a railroad track. The track heads straight--away, and there is nothing that can cause that track to move over or choose a different route. Today I realized that’s the way I try to be. I set my feet towards my goal, and expect that nothing should impede my progress. I move forward and pick up speed. I tend to want to eliminate anything that gets in my way, just as a train barreling down that track would do to anything that got in its way.

If I take another look at my photo, I see a pile of railroad ties lying along-side the rails. Apparently, there is some maintenance scheduled for that track. Looking back on my day, I believe God just did some maintenance work on me. Watching myself allow little things to have such a big influence on my attitude has been humbling, and has emphasized how much I need God in my life. I did not vent on anybody today, but I have a feeling, were it not for His grace, there may have been a major, unscheduled event by the time I arrived at that stadium.

Thank you, God, for never forsaking me, even when my attitude gets bad. Thank you for enabling me to continue to grow and learn.