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Tuesday, March 29, 2011

1 Corinthians 13

This morning while reading my Bible, I read 1 Corinthians 13.  I can almost quote the entire chapter verbatim.  I said ALMOST because while I have not attempted to memorize it, it is one of my favorites and I have preached and heard many, many sermons on it.

God is ever timely.  Yesterday, I did not display the characteristics in this chapter very well.  Let me explain, March is the month that we renew our vehicle tags.  So, I gathered up my hard earned money, the insurance cards and the renewal form.  I trotted over to the 'annex' where I usually go for such a task.  I'm so proud of myself for remember all the items needed and completing the task  before the 31st! 

So, I sit in the drive-thru lane for about 20 minutes while the 2 cars in front of me get their tags renewed.  Finally, it's my turn.  I get to the window and the lady takes my stuff and informs me that as of January 1 they now charge an additional $3 per transaction...costing me an additional $9!  Arghhh.  I am starting to get irritated.  We work HARD for our money and save for months to be able to renew our tags and now they are charging MORE!  She disappears.  I wait for what seems like forever.  I can also see her sitting at her computer flipping from one screen to another, back and forth, back and forth.  She shakes her head and starts over.  I am confused, but I keep my attitude in check.  I am so proud of me!!! 

When she finally comes back over to the window, she tells me that she cannot renew my tags because there is a code in the computer from another county!  I do not understand and begin to come unraveled!  There is no reason for there to be a code in the computer.  I am furious with the other county for not doing their job.  The lady in the window will not call the other county and will not give me the phone number so I can call them.  Furious, I recollect my items and drive off.  When I get back to my husband, I tell him what is going on.  He tells me to get the phone number and HE will call and read them the riot act!  Wow!  I love it...HE is going to do it!  Cool. 

So, I get him the number and he calls.  He is quite cool and collected.  I am impressed.  He took charge AND stayed civil!  Note to self...learn from him!  Through the conversation with the other county clerk, he finds that there, in fact, is NO, I repeat NO code in their computer.  And to top it off, they don't understand why the first county wouldn't just call them!  He asks them if they can fax a copy of whatever to our county so that we can get our tags.  She agrees and I give him the fax number.  So now I have to make another trip.  This time, however, I do not go to the annex...I am still upset with them about the additional charge which is only for that branch and I am upset with that evil woman from earlier!  So, I make the treck all the way down town to get my tags at the courthouse.  On the way I determine that I WILL be Godly in my attitude to the people there.  I will not get upset when should there be a long line which there usually is down town and it's the 28th, to boot.

I get there...put my money in the meter, praying that 1 hour will be enough.  I go in and the line is short...only 3 people ahead of me!  Praise God!  So, I wait.  Don't you know, when it's finally my turn, I get the s-l-o-w-e-s-t  clerk!  Oh, well, I smile and think it's ok...make small talk and let her do her job.  Well, NOTHING I ever do is easy.  There is always a glitch.  As she is doing the work, she wants to know if we got rid of the '81 Ford because the tag is coming up still on it and not the other car.  I tell her we have NEVER had an '81 Ford.  Glitch #1.  She has to get that fixed.  Then she is doing my husband's truck.  It is coming up with our old truck and not this one.  Glitch #2.  She has to get that one fixed.  Finally, she decides she needs to go eat lunch and has another lady come and finish me up.  Ok...I am beginning to get a complex here.  The second lady comes in and is pleasant and fast and gets the job done AND I have 10 minutes to spare on the parking meter!!!

Ok, I have said all that to say this...I read 1 Corinthians 13 this morning...yesterday, I did not display those characteristics.  I love v. 13:  "13And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love."  The greatest is love!  I needed that.  I need to remember that a kind word is so much better than frustrated snipping!  I think God had me read the chapter today instead of yesterday to remind me.  It wouldn't have made a difference yesterday because I would not have remembered it when I went through all the junk that I did.  Today, however, is another story.  I can look back and see that I failed.  But, even through my failure, God loves me and forgives me and helps me to move on! 

I pray that you will not have to go through these kinds of issues, with your car tag renewal, or with anything.  But should you, remember this...God is love!  I am so thankful that He loves me even when I fail to show love to others!  Prayerfully, I won't fail today!

Walking the walk & talking the talk,

7 comments:

Deane said...

It is always easy to lose our cool when doing something like this. It seems as though some of the girls up there doesn't want to be friendly and really help you but that doesn't give us the right to lose our cool but it is understandable. I can just lose my cool thinking about them but the best thing to do is pray. I am glad you got it all straightened out. We always learn something from the gals up there, maybe they will learn from us also. Hope today is a better day for you. Blessings and love you.

We Would Like To Apologize said...

A Facebook friend of mine posted this today: "For some of us it's a tap on the shoulder, for others it's a slap in the face, but we all feel the hand of God in our lives at some point!"

I'm so happy we have a God and creator that cares enough to concern Himself with EVERY aspect of our lives to the point that your steps were ordered to the annex so He could give a real life object lesson on His love for all of us!

Jenifer Metzger said...

Like you, I always seem to run into having problems with dealing with these type of things. I used to be calm and quiet about it but after hearing a phone call between me and the phone company once, my husband informed me I was being very rude. Sadly that has become more the norm for me with these things. I want God's love to radiate through me. I want to be patient and kind. THank you for the reminder!

Unknown said...

God's timing is perfect, isn't it? I want God's love to shine through me all the time, but I know that's not the case. Definitely something I need to work on.

Mandy said...

I need to work on this too, I have a temper and it's a bad temper. I get impatient way too easily something I need to work on too. Glad you got it all figured out!

Phather Phil Malmstrom said...

1 Corinthians 13 is such a powerful passage Debi, and also one of my favorites. I got very engrossed in it while writing a wedding ceremony last year, and like you I can almost recite it from memory. I'm most drawn to the points made in verses 1-3 where it's made quite clear that without love, we have nothing.

I've been known more than once to let my "tude" flair up, and not be the light that God would want of us, so I know where you were here. Heck, I even got a little riled for you reading it! LOL

Either way, thank you for sharing this with us, and reminding us of God's most powerful gift to us : Love.

Have a Blessed Day!

Kelli said...

This is a beautiful thing for me to remember as I renew mine in a couple of weeks! It's never fun dealing with the DMV for anything. They are robbing us blind! I like when you said "greatest is love! I needed that. I need to remember that a kind word is so much better than frustrated snipping!" Amen