I Can't Believe It

I Can’t Believe It

April 25, 2016
Mark Cirino

I can’t believe it. At 3:30 pm Sunday afternoon, I blew it. Unkindness snuck right back in, and I had just preached a sermon on kindness that morning.

I was driving down Chambers Rock road on the way to Kyoto Restaurant in Pike Creek. I was excited. We were celebrating my mother’s 82^nd birthday. And, it had been a while since my brother, my two sisters, myself, and my mother had all been together. My mind was racing with other thoughts as well. Like I was thinking that I was glad that I didn’t have a dog anymore (don’t worry, I love dogs) because I wouldn’t of been able to find it in our back yard. The grass has grown so tall because I haven’t gotten around to cutting it. And then there were all those things I didn’t get around to at work. And then, the list goes on (and on).

I was approaching the single lane bridge. May I remind you that the side I was approaching has the yield sign.  But, I was behind someone who was crossing the bridge. Ah ha, I thought, I can blow right through that yield sign. That person in front of me is paving the way for me. And besides, the person on the other side is already at a stop. Why stop my car, and have to start it up again, and waste gas and produce more pollution. That’s a kind thing to do, isn’t it?

My busy little mind swayed my focus on self. My busy little mind blurred my definition of “behind.” Was I really behind that person crossing the bridge, or did I think I would be behind by the time I crossed the bridge due to the fact that my foot was pressing on the gas a bit more. As I crossed the bridge, I was met with an angry driver slamming on his brakes, arms in the air, glaring at me, saying something (glad I didn’t hear it). As I squeezed by him, our eyes met. I tasted my own unkindness. Yuck!

Did I produce into this man’s life the Fruit of the Spirit that he could taste to see that the Lord is good? No! I gave him a bad tasting fruit of my flesh that has no life in it. As I rolled on down the road, in my own disgust, there was part of me that wanted to go back and apologize to the man. But then, I thought that my motivation to do this was so that I would feel better. I was then brought back to my own sermon. I need to marinate my tough heart. To me, this is kind like a form of repentance. To take the focus off of self, and to refocus on God. So, I marinated my heart for the rest of the drive to the restaurant.

I believe, help me with my unbelief (Mark 9:24). I believe that God you are changing me. You are changing my tough heart into a tender heart full of the love of Christ. Help me with my unbelief. I am being renewed day by day (1 Corinthians 4:16). The Holy Spirit is doing this to me day by day by day by day. Thank you God!

Marinate your heart in God’s Word a little more than necessary.

BTW, dinner was fabulous. Time with my mother, brother, and sisters was precious. I had the Dinner Bento Box with Salmon. My mom had this too. I learned that when you’re at a Japanese restaurant with someone who is Japanese (my mother is Japanese), order what they order.

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