Okay so I was in a Starbuck’s a few days ago. I ordered my Venti Coffee of the Day with Sugar Free Vanilla and waited (they had to brew a fresh batch.) Not being one to just stand around, I grabbed my phone and started dialing. For the next few minutes I chatted away with one of our staff members (you know who you are and you should be working right now instead of reading my blog…slacker!) All of a sudden I noticed that this guy who was sitting at one of the tables was repeating words and phrases that I was saying on the phone. Wondering what was up I got off the phone with you know who and walked over to this guy.
I asked him if he was repeating what I was saying. He gave me a look of disdain and said “Yes I was.”
“Why?” I asked.
“Because you are loud!” he said with an arrogant bark.
Without thinking I began to lean down toward him. I put my hands on his table and came into his face space. I could feel my heart racing and my puny arms flexing. What was about to happen was going to be ugly. It was inevitable. Although I live in the suburbs now I knew where I came from and this latte drinking, BMW driving, condescending yuppie wouldn’t have lasted ten seconds in my old neighborhood (I could last twelve…two seconds longer than cranky man.)
I could feel my “crazy eyes” coming out as I got in his face space (my wife tells me that I have to learn how to control my eyeballs because, when I’m mad or intense they bulge out of my eye sockets like they are about to pop out. They have a tendency to scare children, small animals and arrogant yuppies.)
But in a millisecond the Spirit of God knocked. As I was leaning into this guy’s grill I paused and asked God to take over. Although I was red faced, crazy eyed and adrenalin filled, God took control of my heart and my tongue. In the calmest voice I could muster, the most unlikely words spilled over my lips, “Will you forgive me?”
Startled, the man simply said, “yes.” I think he was more ready for a headbutt to his nose than he was the words, “Will you forgive me?”
I thanked him for his forgiveness, muttered something about my wife thinking I’m too loud too, wished him a good day, grabbed my java and bolted.
As I walked away with my coffee of the day firmly in hand I thanked the Lord for his Spirit. I thanked him that we don’t have to act on our fleshly impulses (i.e. making others spit their teeth like Chicklets in similar situations.)
The Spirit of God is the best anger management plan on planet earth.
By the way, who are you calling crazy eyes? Do you want a piece of….Jesus loves you.
