There. I said it. I had a bad day.
Yeah, I know that pastors, missionaries and other spiritual leaders aren’t supposed to have bad days. We live on a higher spiritual plane – much closer to God. We set the example for others of always seeing the spiritual application in everything.
You know, I used to believe that malarkey. I used to think that I couldn’t show weakness or doubt or struggle. I dunno. I just sort of assumed that was the way it was supposed to work because that’s what I saw in others.
So, to this day I have tried to break the bad habit of automatically responding “Fine!” when someone asks me how I’m doing. Not that you really care that I had a bad day, I just want to learn to be a bit more transparent.
I woke up tired and punky. Cheryl has been a real trooper working out the therapy on her new knee, and I’ve tried to be a good caregiver, but I’m afraid I’m not good at it. She’s worn out from pushing herself. I’m worn out from trying to help.
When I woke up this morning, my head was exploding! Often, when there is a big change in the weather my sinuses let me know more accurately than the weather forecast. Today it was bad enough to make me think I was going to vomit. I would have loved to have gone right back to bed, but I had a patient to attend to and the ice in her polar machine needed changing. I’m getting up at 3:00 am to change it, too.
There was snow on the driveway that I should clear for the therapist who would be coming later. I was actually a bit excited about this because I bought a new snow thrower in July and this would be the first time to use it. Woohoo! But, DANG! the head was killing me.
No matter. I went to the garage and moved out the shiny new, red snow thrower. I had fresh fuel in it and all systems checked out. I had assembled it right out of the box. (That should have been an omen). It looked so pretty! No rust. My former machine was built back in the 50′s or something. No kidding. I nursed it along as long as I could.
I went through my check list – choke on, key in ignition, accelerator full on, prime the fuel pump – check. Since it was new, I thought I would be manly and start it manually. Or was it that I wanted to be manual and start it manly? Whatever. I pulled the cord and anticipated a quick crank. Nothing. I plugged it into the wall and tried the electric start. Nothing.
Those of you who know me, know that I am now at the limit of my technical ability. So I repeated the same thing time after time as though that was going to solve something until I had wasted the time alloted to do the driveway.
It would have to wait until later. The snow was not deep enough yet to make it difficult to get out. I had to go for my first meeting – and beyond.
Who could I get to help me with this stinking machine? Hmmmm. All the people I know who know about such machines are out using them today!
Head pain begins to let up a bit. Back pain from working on snow thrower begins to loosen its grip. Geeze!
The day slides by in a blur -meetings, answering the most urgent of the emails, dealing with one of “those-who-should-know-better-yet-eat-up-your-time” problems. Whoa! So much to do, so little time.
Oasis - Reba has a birthday. Several of us take her to lunch at her favorite plaza eatery that we have totally to ourselves being the only ones crazy enough to brave the elements. Happy Birthday, Reba!
Back to reality. Back to the office. Gotta get home to Cheryl. She’s on her own right now, her sister having stayed back at her mom’s house at my request to avoid the snow. Before going out the door, I find one of those ask the expert sites on the Internet. Dear Mr. Expert, I have a brand new X brand snow thrower that won’t start … I hope that an answer will arrive by the time I get home.
The answer came! Excitedly, I put on my engineering face and head to the garage. I am going to remove the spark plug, put in about 3 tbsp of gasoline, replace the plug and crank manually. I can do this! Then, I will let the expert guy know what happened.
Gas flew out the exhaust. Then, it caught! It sputtered! It’s going to go. Before I can begin to cut back the choke it dies. I crank again. Nothing. Nada. Zip.
OK, Mr. Expert, here’s what happened. Now what? I wait. I wait some more. The sun is fading. I can’t wait. I grab my shovel and hit the driveway. This is what I spent all that money in July to avoid! Shoot! Probably the only significant snow of the year and my snow thrower is a no show. It’s red. Could that have any connection with what happened yesterday at Arrowhead?
I’m just about done clearing a path when Cheryl shouts that my answer arrived. Great! What does he say?
He says a carburetor jet is clogged and it will have to be taken apart and rebuilt. Say what? It’s new! Now I’m adding manic depression to my aching back and head and frustration. Good thing I shoveled the drive.
No time to scream. I have to go to Wal-Mart and pick up some pain medication for Cheryl. Not only will I have to stand in line forever, it’s Wal-Mart. I hold a black belt in karate, but some of the people at Wal-Mart scare me. That’s another story.
Back home, Cheryl has called about our warranty. As I am wondering how I’m going to get that machine into my SUV to take it in, she discovers that we actually bought the home warranty. They will come out to the house tomorrow and fix it! Hallelujah!
I never buy the warranty. I can’t believe we bought the warranty. What was I thinking? Or was I? No, I must have been! God’s Spirit was in control! (See, I told you we find a spiritual application for everything – even warranties).
Yeah, I had a bad day.
But, you know what? Those loved ones and family members of the six people murdered yesterday in Tucson by that mindless sicko – they had a really bad day. Some of the people trying to survive in the hurricane ravaged mountains of Haiti – they had a really bad day. Some desperate prostitute in Kansas City, victimized by the lust and greed of an evil pimp and prisoner to a system that seems to her impossible to escape – she had a really bad day.
I’ll be just fine, thank you.
I had a bad day
Yeah, I know that pastors, missionaries and other spiritual leaders aren’t supposed to have bad days. We live on a higher spiritual plane – much closer to God. We set the example for others of always seeing the spiritual application in everything.
You know, I used to believe that malarkey. I used to think that I couldn’t show weakness or doubt or struggle. I dunno. I just sort of assumed that was the way it was supposed to work because that’s what I saw in others.
So, to this day I have tried to break the bad habit of automatically responding “Fine!” when someone asks me how I’m doing. Not that you really care that I had a bad day, I just want to learn to be a bit more transparent.
I woke up tired and punky. Cheryl has been a real trooper working out the therapy on her new knee, and I’ve tried to be a good caregiver, but I’m afraid I’m not good at it. She’s worn out from pushing herself. I’m worn out from trying to help.
When I woke up this morning, my head was exploding! Often, when there is a big change in the weather my sinuses let me know more accurately than the weather forecast. Today it was bad enough to make me think I was going to vomit. I would have loved to have gone right back to bed, but I had a patient to attend to and the ice in her polar machine needed changing. I’m getting up at 3:00 am to change it, too.
There was snow on the driveway that I should clear for the therapist who would be coming later. I was actually a bit excited about this because I bought a new snow thrower in July and this would be the first time to use it. Woohoo! But, DANG! the head was killing me.
No matter. I went to the garage and moved out the shiny new, red snow thrower. I had fresh fuel in it and all systems checked out. I had assembled it right out of the box. (That should have been an omen). It looked so pretty! No rust. My former machine was built back in the 50′s or something. No kidding. I nursed it along as long as I could.
I went through my check list – choke on, key in ignition, accelerator full on, prime the fuel pump – check. Since it was new, I thought I would be manly and start it manually. Or was it that I wanted to be manual and start it manly? Whatever. I pulled the cord and anticipated a quick crank. Nothing. I plugged it into the wall and tried the electric start. Nothing.
Those of you who know me, know that I am now at the limit of my technical ability. So I repeated the same thing time after time as though that was going to solve something until I had wasted the time alloted to do the driveway.
It would have to wait until later. The snow was not deep enough yet to make it difficult to get out. I had to go for my first meeting – and beyond.
Who could I get to help me with this stinking machine? Hmmmm. All the people I know who know about such machines are out using them today!
Head pain begins to let up a bit. Back pain from working on snow thrower begins to loosen its grip. Geeze!
The day slides by in a blur -meetings, answering the most urgent of the emails, dealing with one of “those-who-should-know-better-yet-eat-up-your-time” problems. Whoa! So much to do, so little time.
Oasis - Reba has a birthday. Several of us take her to lunch at her favorite plaza eatery that we have totally to ourselves being the only ones crazy enough to brave the elements. Happy Birthday, Reba!
Back to reality. Back to the office. Gotta get home to Cheryl. She’s on her own right now, her sister having stayed back at her mom’s house at my request to avoid the snow. Before going out the door, I find one of those ask the expert sites on the Internet. Dear Mr. Expert, I have a brand new X brand snow thrower that won’t start … I hope that an answer will arrive by the time I get home.
The answer came! Excitedly, I put on my engineering face and head to the garage. I am going to remove the spark plug, put in about 3 tbsp of gasoline, replace the plug and crank manually. I can do this! Then, I will let the expert guy know what happened.
Gas flew out the exhaust. Then, it caught! It sputtered! It’s going to go. Before I can begin to cut back the choke it dies. I crank again. Nothing. Nada. Zip.
OK, Mr. Expert, here’s what happened. Now what? I wait. I wait some more. The sun is fading. I can’t wait. I grab my shovel and hit the driveway. This is what I spent all that money in July to avoid! Shoot! Probably the only significant snow of the year and my snow thrower is a no show. It’s red. Could that have any connection with what happened yesterday at Arrowhead?
I’m just about done clearing a path when Cheryl shouts that my answer arrived. Great! What does he say?
He says a carburetor jet is clogged and it will have to be taken apart and rebuilt. Say what? It’s new! Now I’m adding manic depression to my aching back and head and frustration. Good thing I shoveled the drive.
No time to scream. I have to go to Wal-Mart and pick up some pain medication for Cheryl. Not only will I have to stand in line forever, it’s Wal-Mart. I hold a black belt in karate, but some of the people at Wal-Mart scare me. That’s another story.
Back home, Cheryl has called about our warranty. As I am wondering how I’m going to get that machine into my SUV to take it in, she discovers that we actually bought the home warranty. They will come out to the house tomorrow and fix it! Hallelujah!
I never buy the warranty. I can’t believe we bought the warranty. What was I thinking? Or was I? No, I must have been! God’s Spirit was in control! (See, I told you we find a spiritual application for everything – even warranties).
Yeah, I had a bad day.
But, you know what? Those loved ones and family members of the six people murdered yesterday in Tucson by that mindless sicko – they had a really bad day. Some of the people trying to survive in the hurricane ravaged mountains of Haiti – they had a really bad day. Some desperate prostitute in Kansas City, victimized by the lust and greed of an evil pimp and prisoner to a system that seems to her impossible to escape – she had a really bad day.
I’ll be just fine, thank you.