It was my third year in college and I was late completing an assignment for one of my classes. Although late assignments were not usual for me, this one was different. There was a class presentation to be given as well. I wrote the last few pages after returning from my night job at 4am. I had convinced the janitor to open the typing classroom a bit early so I began typing at about 6am. As I typed on that old manual typewriter, the ringing of the bell after each line (remember those?) gave me a jolt to move forward and finish. There was a sense of accomplishment after each bell.
After yanking the last sheet of paper out of the typewriter, I was headed out to the store to get copies made. As you would normally expect, there was a line of people waiting to make copies. Not having slept for almost two days and tired from working all night, my head was pounding. Nothing had gone into my stomach that day except a few cups of black coffee after returning from work. All of this compounded to create a tense situation for me as I waited my turn in line. Just a few more minutes for that class to begin. I began to think: “If this line doesn’t move quicker, I’ll certainly be late.”
At that point I noticed a sign on the wall: “A LACK OF PLANNING ON YOUR PART DOES NOT CONSTITUTE AN EMERGENCY ON OUR PART.” There were just two more people in front of me when I read that sign. By that time I was furious. I began to wonder why these people were so rude in putting up such a sign. In the back of my mind I knew there was much reality to what the sign says, but my frustration was turning to a rage by then. Finally when it was my turn to make copies, I was able to subdue my emotions. With a clear “attitude” to my voice I said “Oh by the way I like your sign.” The man just looked at me with a knowing smile on his face. I am sure he has seen plenty of students in a similar predicament. Each one had their story of why they were here at the last minute.
I was able to keep my composure up to a certain extent. Just a few grunts and moans came out while I collated and stapled the papers. I still felt that this man should not have put up that sign. I was furious while I drove back to the campus.
Although there was no outburst that would cause a scene, it was clear that I had no control of my emotions. My constant struggle had begun to take its toll on me.
In the Bible, Job was a man who expressed his struggles quite clearly. He said: “As God lives, who has taken away my right, and the Almighty, who has made my soul bitter, as long as my breath is in me, and the spirit of God is in my nostrils, my lips will not speak falsehood, and my tongue will not utter deceit. Far be it from me to say that you are right; till I die I will not put away my integrity from me. I hold fast my righteousness and will not let it go; my heart does not reproach me for any of my days.” (Job 27:2-6)
Job’s condition was clear. He felt that God had taken away his right, and as a result, his soul was bitter. In spite of all this, he made a conscious decision to keep his integrity. He never used his situation as a excuse for loose lips or any other form of reactions.
Have you had an “excuse” situation? Share it here in the comments section of this blog post.
What's Your Excuse?
4 responses to “What's Your Excuse?”
-
Thanks for being real. Happy Anniversary dear husband.
LikeLike
-
Thank you.
LikeLike
-
-
Thanks Alexi sir for sharing your story. Let me share an incident from my life, which I had written up earlier:A bachelor’s life is full of activity, adventure and fun. However it also has its own challenges and associated responsibilities. Several of my bachelor friends and I stayed together in a rented house. We took turns to run the kitchen, that involved purchasing provisions & groceries, as a maid cooked and cleaned the place. One problem we routinely faced was the task of getting the cooking gas cylinders refilled.Once when I was in-charge, the problem became acute. Adding to our woes was the cost of transportation to get a cooking gas, which had to be within our monthly budget. Usually, we call up the gas-agency and enquire about the availability. That particular day, my friend who passed by the gas-agency office, informed me that gas cylinder was available. I embarked on this mission.It took quite some time to hire a vehicle. When I reached their godown, they informed me that filled gas cylinders were exhausted. I went over to the nearby office and enquired. The simple reply was that the stocks were spent. In spite of my persistence, there was no success. Feeling cheated and upset, I left the place controlling my anger and not knowing what to do. Valuable time and money were spent in vain. On reaching my residence, I poured out my woes to a friend, who called the gas agency and enquired. When the officer denied the incident, I grabbed the phone and started speaking to him. The officer re-collected and acknowledged my visit and tried to justify his stand, soon it turned into an argument. Unable to control myself, I quarrelled with him and angrily disconnected the phone. After a while, I began to calm down and take control. It was then that the Holy Spirit reminded me of my morning devotions.I had learnt two things during devotions that morning. “Often, we justify ourselves by telling that the other person is wrong. We feel that our stand is just and right. We may support this with Biblical quotations such as, ‘be shrewd as snakes and innocent as doves, (Matthew 10:16 NIV).’ I heard God telling me that, Jesus, did not get justice. He was fully right in what he did. He never did any wrong. Yet, he suffered on the cross.Another passage in Philippians 4:4 that grabbed my attention was “Let your gentleness be evident to ALL. (NIV)” It is quite easy for me to be gentle with my fellow believer who has the mind of Christ. He/she holds the similar moral and spiritual value that I hold. Paul wrote this epistle from prison, making the emphasis of the passage still greater. To be gentle when we undergo unjust treatment is not easy. But the word ALL does not leave any one or any situation out of this list. We should be gentle to ALL; including the gas officer as well as the auto driver!
LikeLike
-
Thanks for sharing your experience. Yes, it’s not easy.
LikeLike
-
YOURBARNABAS.COM 
Leave a Reply