(Alternate Title: WHERE THE %$!%#@ ARE MY KEYS?????)

We are typing along and something happens and we lose a lot of work. We are driving along and realize that we forgot something back at home. We do not read an email closely enough about a cancellation, a postponement, something like that we and we miss something that we paid a lot of money for. We forget a deadline. We are late. We do not hear an announcement for something new and we miss the train. We lose our keys or an important paper or our briefcase containing both. Mistakes, misses, forgetfulness are bitter pills.

Recently the 40th anniversary of Saturday Night Live was on and it reminded me of a funny skit. David Spade is doing his receptionist bit with telling everyone to sit down and wait. Roseanne Barr (ever her classy self) comes in and tells Spade’s character that she has an appointment. Spade tells her to sit down and wait. She is fuming. After a few seconds she comes back to Spade and screams, “you know what, waiting over there, I just made your entire yearly salary! Now I want to see ……!” He tells her that he does not know who she is, he watches a lot of public television and to sit down! Then Phil Hartman comes in dressed as God/Jesus. He says he wants to see the man whose office it is. Spade tells HIM to sit down and wait. He is angry too. Roseanne says to God/Jesus, “can’t YOU do something?” He says something to the extent of, “I just might…”

We all wish that God would fix our problems, our frustrations, remind us when we forget something, turn back time so that we could change our failures into victories. But things rarely work that way. So much more often God seems more interested in changing us rather than our situations. He had to change Jonah from a man who was angry with the people of Nineveh. He told a frustrated Jeremiah to continue sharing His word even when no one listened to him. The Bible is full of stories of people who were frustrated, angry, who made mistakes and who forgot things. But God taught them lessons and some of the actually learned things. Granted none of the stories were issues related to computers or keys or emails, but the point still stands. Let us learn what He would have us to learn in order to become better people. It is possible to become angry but not sin!I remember a person from my high school who I saw at a theatre once many years ago. He was waiting for someone and he was very agitated. Something was wrong with his car. He said to me, trying to goad me, “Hey Walt, do you think God can fix my car?” I did not know what to say. I could not speak for God then and I cannot now. I cannot and have never been able to command God to act in a certain way. I said, “Andy, God loves you very much”. I hope it changed his perspective on his current situation, it definitely surprised him. I wish I could remember that when I get so very agitated. I wish having a tiny bit of faith in God’s love was a panacea all the time for every situation. Often even finding a tiny bit is asking a lot for me. However, I think it is the truth. God knows I have a problem with anger as much as I have a problem with forgetfulness and losing things and making mistakes. But it is definitely a GIFT to be reminded of God’s love in the midst of life’s troubles, even when we cause them. That can certainly change us in the midst of mistakes, misses, and forgetfulness.We cannot and should not deny our anger. It is a God-given gift! However, we must harness it and control it and ourselves. This has definitely been a challenge for humans as long as we have been around. One website that I founds recorded as many as 57 verses in the Bible about anger. There were 30 verses just in the New Testament giving me the idea that almost as many people got angry in Old Testament times as they did in New Testament times. However, if anger is really an issue we may need help. If it is affecting our career or our family or leading us to violence or abusive behavior against ourselves or others then we need help. It is 2015 and there is nothing wrong with speaking to a Rabbi, a Minister, or a trained mental health care provider.

Proverbs 16:32 ESV
Whoever is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city.

————W.