Ever have one of those days when you lose your temper? I did just the other day and it was ugly. I was going to enjoy lunch with my wife and kids at In-N-Out Burger. We pulled into a very busy parking lot and waited on a car to back out of a space. No sooner did the car pull away than a guy in a taxi whipped around from the other side and snagged the space. Oh man! I was furious and let the length of time I laid on the horn indicate my frustration. He didn't even respond...not a hand gesture, apology or anything. That's probably what caused me to lose it. Up until that point, I was having a pretty decent day, but this guy's lack of human decency caused me to boil. So what did I do? I pulled away and thanked God for the opportunity of "turning the other cheek". Wrong...I allowed my temper to get the best of me and stepped out of the car to say a few things to this inconsiderate gentleman. I didn't swear at him or call him "idiot", but I let my temper dictate my actions. As I look back on my behavior, the saddest part is that I did this for my kids to watch. Even though I apologized to them for my attitude, I regret doing something stupid like this in front of them and accomplishing absolutely nothing. Proverbs 16:32 says "Controlling your temper is better than being a hero." I wasn't much of a "hero" that day to my wife or kids.Wednesday, August 22, 2007
Better Than Being A Hero
Ever have one of those days when you lose your temper? I did just the other day and it was ugly. I was going to enjoy lunch with my wife and kids at In-N-Out Burger. We pulled into a very busy parking lot and waited on a car to back out of a space. No sooner did the car pull away than a guy in a taxi whipped around from the other side and snagged the space. Oh man! I was furious and let the length of time I laid on the horn indicate my frustration. He didn't even respond...not a hand gesture, apology or anything. That's probably what caused me to lose it. Up until that point, I was having a pretty decent day, but this guy's lack of human decency caused me to boil. So what did I do? I pulled away and thanked God for the opportunity of "turning the other cheek". Wrong...I allowed my temper to get the best of me and stepped out of the car to say a few things to this inconsiderate gentleman. I didn't swear at him or call him "idiot", but I let my temper dictate my actions. As I look back on my behavior, the saddest part is that I did this for my kids to watch. Even though I apologized to them for my attitude, I regret doing something stupid like this in front of them and accomplishing absolutely nothing. Proverbs 16:32 says "Controlling your temper is better than being a hero." I wasn't much of a "hero" that day to my wife or kids.