Friday, February 6, 2009

Let It Go

10:13 PM by Christi Bowman

I faced a mild amount of injustice today; it was nothing major like being the head of my household at age 8 or younger, it wasn't a lack of food, nor was it anywhere near as horrific as having an eye gouged out by a brothel owner...still, embarrassingly enough, it ruffled my feathers.

I am a comfortable American, and for now my "tribulations," though seemingly light in comparison to my brothers and sisters around the globe, are just that...tribulations. I get frustrated and have to call out for help and an attitude adjustment so that I can once again get my mind of myself and centered back onto Jesus...and when Jesus answers my cry I am still amazed and humbled by the experience and am able to count even my trials as joy as they bring me a very real glimpse into the inner workings of His Kingdom.

We live across the street from where my husband works, and word has gotten around that if the parking lot is full than our driveway is available. At times this complicates my life (whine)! We have a skinny driveway, and my husband parks all the way at the end of it as if to advertise the fact that we have PLENTY of room.

Today, a fellow co-worker of my husband's parked his car right up against my husbands van leaving me no room to get out. This would normally not be a problem as I seldom leave the house with all three of my children in tow, alone, however, tonight was date night.

I have just begun re-adding weights into my work out routine, and I have not established myself enough yet to take a day off. I wanted my husband to come home during his lunch and watch the kids while I went to the gym so that I would be able to get my weight lifting in, but not have it interfere with our evening plans.

My husband walked into the house and handed me the keys to another co-workers vehicle as he relayed to me the car situation outside. I did not know, until that time, that my husband's co-worker had parked in our driveway at all. I find it nearly impossible to wrap my mind around change that is upseting if it is just sprung on me. I got upset because I do not like to drive other people's cars for fear of something happening that I would be responsible for while I am driving it.

Apparently the co-worker who parked right up next to our van had gone out to lunch in someone else's car and had taken his keys with him. This added to my irritation, because it is the policy at my husbands place of employment, because of the cramped nature of the parking lot, that if you are forced to park in such a way that your automobile is blocking someone else's, than you are to leave your keys in your vehicle so that it may be moved should the need arise. Why should my driveway be any different?

When the gravity of the situation hit me I was enraged, and I began to think of a plethora of reasons as to why this incident was so outrageous...what if there was an emergency while my husband's co-worker was out to lunch...how would we be able to get out and get to where we needed to be? What if we had plans where we were being counted on and we were not able to obtain another vehicle? My husband's co-worker's thoughtlessness and apparent self centeredness was becoming more and more maddening by the moment.

I gathered my things in a huff and settled myself into the car that did not belong to me. I drove the several blocks to the gym irritated all the more by how cautious I had to be in someone else's vehicle...I could do nothing on autopilot. I wanted my husband to expose this injustice and the only thing he would say to me as I complained was "accidents happen."

"How do I deal with all this emotion?" I asked the Lord. I turned my MP3 Bible on as I began my workout and started listening at the beginning of the eleventh chapter of John. Soon I came across verses 4-6 in John chapter 12:

4Then saith one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, which should betray him,

5Why was not this ointment sold for three hundred pence, and given to the poor?

6This he said, not that he cared for the poor; but because he was a thief, and had the bag, and bare what was put therein.

I confess that I have this pressing desire to bring into the light the wrong doing of others. I don't like to let people get by with a thing. I have no problem rationalizing this ugly behavior...how will people learn, or I need closure to soothe my anger, even better is the need to "get it off my chest," but, when I saw in these verses that it was common knowledge amongst this group that Judas was a thief, and not only did they not confront him, but they gave him the job of treasurer I was dumbfounded. Jesus let a THIEF hold the money bag, and never once, that we know of, did he let on that he knew. Talk about the foolishness of God!

I think I can let the person who parked in front of my car off the hook today.

And the best part about this lesson, is that the next time I find myself "out for blood," Jesus will whisper into my ear..."Judas was a thief"...and I will know exactly what He is asking me to do...

Let it go.

" The Word is alive
And it cuts like a sword through the darkness
With a message of life to the hopeless and afraid
Breathing life into all who believe
The Word is alive
And the world and its glories will fade
But His truth, it will not pass away
It remains yesterday and forever the same
The Word is alive"

0 comments - Permalink -