A real deal from above...

I found myself in a snit last night, a self-righteous snit of indignation. I was deeply hurt when a friend didn’t show for a scheduled event, nor did he even bother to let me know that the event wasn’t to happen. I wanted to lash out. I conjured up images of Jesus running the money-lenders out of the temple with a cat-o'nine-tails, but, even in my state of snittiness, I realized that the comparison didn't fit. 'I trusted the man!' I fumed. 'He let me down!' I typed one reprimanding note after another, deleting each after realizing that they could never be taken seriously.

The truth of the matter is that I'd let my hurt-pride get the best of me. No matter how another person’s actions affect my schedule, whether those actions are intentional or not, I should not let it interfere with the peace which is offered from above through the hand of my Heavenly Father. I acted as though I had lost my spiritual footing, which I had, temporarily, and that was based on feelings that I had been left standing alone in a parking lot, waiting for a ride which would never arrive.

But I was not alone. My Heavenly Father was still there with me. My desire to ‘get back’ temporarily blinded me to the fact that all I had to do was hold out my hand and place it in His. ‘Aaaahhh, thank You, Father, for lifting me up in my time of need,’ I should have sighed with satisfaction, but I did not. I took ahold of Satan’s hand instead, as he smirked and filled my head with more self-promoting dialog.

Will I repeat this spiritual blunder again? I’d say that the chances are pretty great. Satan is always waiting in the wings, outstretched hand holding up a counterfeit cue card. There’s a passage of scripture going through my mind right now having to do with the nature of God, ‘Slow to anger...’ That’s what I really need to hear, our Father's ‘real deal’ cue card. I need His guidance everyday.