Daily Devotional January 20, 2021

Yesterday, I got up at 3:00 AM, wrote the Daily Devotional, exercised, ate breakfast, got cleaned up and drove through a monsoon to get to the church.  I had a lot on my mind including needing to finish the sermon for a funeral I had in the afternoon for an absolutely wonderful man.

As I pulled up to Dennis Hall, I parked my truck under the awning and quickly unloaded my briefcase, suit coat, and the lunch that Shannon had made for me.  Then I parked in the parking lot and walked through a torrential downpour to get into the church.  Needless to say, I was in a hurry.

Jane was the morning volunteer receptionist that I always refer to as the babysitter.  She is a joy to be around.

I took a moment to visit with Jane about the rain and the problem with mesquite trees and then I rushed to my office to get to work.

As I sat down at my desk, I happened to glance down and realized my zipper had been down the entire time.  I was filled with embarrassment, as I realized I had been talking to Jane when I wasn’t fully dressed.

Luckily, Jane is a woman of grace and dignity.  She never said a word.  She didn’t embarrass me or questioned why my mother never taught me how to dress properly.  Jane’s demeanor got me thinking.

There are a lot of things wrong with this world.  Some issues are very big.  Some aren’t.

For small things like someone being rude, a driver cutting us off, or a pastor who never learned to dress like an adult, there’s no reason to go ballistic.  Err on the side of grace. 

There may be a reason someone is being rude.  You never know how heavy another’s load is.

 A driver may not have seen your car.  Blind spots do exist.

A pastor who forgot to zip his pants – scratch that.  There’s no excuse for that one but you get my point. 

Err on the side of grace and keep your powder dry for the big things.

The wisest of all people said, “Whoever is slow to anger has great understanding, but he who has a hasty temper exalts folly.”  (Proverbs 14:29)

Is there a lot to be angry about?  You bet.  But much of what we fret about isn’t worth the effort.  So, choose your battles wisely.

Prayer:  Dear Gracious Heavenly God, help me be a person of patience, calm, and grace in this unforgiving, hard world.  Use my words and actions to bring healing and peace.  In Jesus’ name I pray.  Amen.

Life is hard.  Don’t make it harder than it has to be.

Just for the record, I apologized to Jane.  She said she didn’t see a thing.  But I know her.  Even if she had; she wouldn’t have said anything.  She is a true saint.

I pray your day is filled with joy and laughter.
Tom Robbins