The other day I was in the passenger seat of the Subaru, and Noah was driving. He was driving to his algebra tutoring session. He was not pleased (he almost never is these days, but particularly not when headed to an hour of math tutoring), and we were late, and he became very frustrated with some Sunday drivers in front of us. I corrected his driving and then shut my mouth (never an easy thing to do).
About a mile up the road I finally said, "Noah, it would be wonderful if every one in the world was on the same page at the same time. If when you were late and in a hurry, every one got out of the way, and even people stood at the side of the road and said 'Go, go, go!' But, that's not how God planned this life for us. If everything always went our way, we would never show our true colors, would we? God allows the trials because they show how we will perform when faced with difficult situations; who will curse the world, honk their horns, become frustrated with insignificant road blocks, and who will just take those same frustrations in stride, and be gentle with each other. Difficulties separate the sheep from the goats."
And I post this here so I will remember that when difficulties come my way. When the new compressor on the refrigerator dies before the repairman leaves the house, when Faith argues for the 1000th time in one day, when life just doesn't go "my way."
"When the Son of man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate them one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, and he will place the sheep at his right hand, but the goats at the left." Matthew 25:31-33
Feeling sheepish....er...goatish, here.
ReplyDeleteAnd that's why I placed that little tale here, to remind ME!
ReplyDeletethanks for the reminder!
ReplyDeleteI got honked at the other day for...just sitting there waiting for the other cars to go. I try to be a very careful driver. The driver behind me gave me a nice LOOOOOONG honk. I really tried to forget it right away...but it bugged me.
ReplyDeleteI try to be nice. But sometimes people are like sandpaper. I think I could tolerate goats better. Such a crazy world we live in.
Family can be even harder. Great reminder!
Thanks for reminding us, too. It's those little moments and choices that make up a person's character, and ultimately a life.
ReplyDelete'Let your gentleness be evident to all; the Lord is near.' Phil. 4:5
This reminds me of a friend who was teaching her children about this story for religion, and she had the children choose whether to be goats or sheep. Then the goats were cast into the outer darkness and the little one just wept and wept because she was a goat! They had to do it again so she could choose to be a sheep!
ReplyDeleteThis is a good reminder. One thing that changed my ways is to try (TRY, lol) and remember that i don't know what that person in front of me is going through. Perhaps the guy who just cut me off is rushing to the hospital where his wife is in labor. Perhaps that person who is going slow is mourning a loss or is scared to go where they are headed. Helps me to take the focus on me and say a prayer for someone else, even if it is through gritted teeth, lol.
ReplyDelete