The car got taken to the garage yesterday because it had developed a rather growly muffler. In a rare opportunity of choice, one of the options was a third of the cost of the other. Muffler repairs can be expensive so I opted for the cheaper fix. Pleased with what had taken place, pleased that my mechanic isn't out for all he can get, I left for work.
After work, I came home and began to mow the lawn. There's a metal survey spike sticking up out of a small ditch designed to take water away from the driveway. I know it's there. The lawn's been mowed a hundred times around it. This time, the mower blade hit it. A rattle, a crash and there was no way of avoiding the fact that something had broken. The machine began to vibrate ferociously.
Unplugging the machine and flipping it over, the damage was obvious. The blade had been bent up enough to shatter a plastic guard between the blade and the motor. This is the beginning of realizing I need an attitude adjustment. It gets worse.
Trying to get the blade off to remove the broken part was an exercise in rage. It's been a while since I'd lost my temper like that. Rusty bolts don't co-operate at the best of times.
It wasn't until after that I realized this could have been an exercise in gratitude. Sometimes I'm a bit slow on the uptake. First of all, the broken piece could have done someone some damage. It didn't. Secondly, I knew what to do in order to loosen a rusty bolt because it's something that's been done many times before. (Thank You, Lord for the farm experiences.) Thirdly, there was a can of penetrating machine oil in the basement to soak the stubborn nut with. Fourthly, I was able to get the whole mechanism apart once the oil had enough time to do its job. Rushing it only caused more frustration. Last of all, the entire front yard had been already cut. The back will have to wait until I get the parts, including a new blade.
Which ties into the car. Thank You, Lord, for Your provision.
Lord, help me see the blessings in the trials. Help me lose the negative attitude. Help me turn my words into prayer instead of angry expressions. In Jesus' name I pray.
"Therefore, laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking, as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby, if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious." 1 Pet 2:1-3
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The Robes
"Coming up behind Jesus, she (the woman who had bled for 12 years) touched the fringe of His robe." Luke 9:44 And she was heal...
It's always enlightening to analyse why we get angry. Is it because of an extra expense? A waste of our time? Extra work/effort necessary? Because we can't get our way? Or, something will make us late? In all cases it's an opportunity to refine our egos. We must trust God for finances. We must not avoid our labours. We must yield control. We must plan our time well.
ReplyDeleteThe way you've described your event, I would suggest that perhaps you were annoyed at yourself for hitting the metal spike that you knew was there. The root: pride. Pride is a perennial sin. We battle it in so many difficulties. That's ok. Recognizing when pride infiltrates our thinking will help us conform our spirits to be more like Jesus.
This anger outburst goes far further than simple annoyance. But God is faithful and has shown me the reasons. See today's post.
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