I do not know if grouchy comes with old age or if in old age you are too weak to subdue it. My grouchy seems to be getting out of control.
Driving across town the other day I ran into, almost literally, some driver not watching where she was going. Barely missing her, I noticed she was talking on her cell phone. I am quite sure she did not even see me. I wanted to stop everything, get out of my car and give her a good piece of my mind.
But I didn’t.
Instead, I decided to go to a little café for a cup of coffee. Nothing soothes my nerves quicker than a nice hot cup of Joe. Let them say what they will, coffee is my best friend.
I was standing in line waiting to order my coffee when the lady in front of me was trying to figure out what she wanted. I am not sure if this person had ever been in a café before, but she acted as if she did not know what she was doing or what she wanted.
“Could I have a sample taste of that coffee?” she said to the person behind the counter. He got a little cup and gave her a sample.
“I’m not sure,” she said quite hesitatingly, “can I try another one?”
My choice at that moment was to give that woman a good piece of my mind.
But I didn’t.
Finally, after tasting about 10 different coffees, she picked one and finally I was able to order my coffee and find a seat and enjoy it.
As I was sipping my coffee alone in the corner, some thoughts began to rattle in my head. The main thought emerging was that grouchy may be an inherited condition.
I began thinking of my father and grandfather and both had a wide streak of grouchy in them. If memory serves me correct, the older they got, the more grouchy became predominant.
If grouchy is inherited, I am really not to blame. Just thinking about that made me chuckle a little bit. In fact, I began to chuckle so much that my grouchy ran away in fear of his life. And so he should.
Everybody is born with a certain amount of “mind.” We can do with that “mind” whatever we want to do with it. And so, if I begin giving people a “piece of my mind,” I am going to diminish my supply of “mind.”
When the “mind” gets low it introduces the level of grouchy. The last phase is when a person comes to the point where he “loses his mind.” Now, once you lose your mind, you can never get it back.
Whenever I am tempted to give somebody a piece of my mind, I am going to stop and think it over a little bit.
Does that person really does serve a piece of my “mind?” If I give that person a piece of my mind, will I miss it?
I like what Peter says, “Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 1:13).
I am going to protect my mind and use it wisely because it is all I got.
The Rev. James L. Snyder
Ocala, Fla.
Dr. James L. Snyder is pastor of the Family of God Fellowship in Ocala, Fla. where he lives with his wife. Call him at (352) 216-3025 or email jamessnyder2@att.net. The church website is www.whatafellowship.com.