Patience is something that most people have little of nowadays. Although I'm not the most patient person, I'd like to think that I'm more patient than most. And my patience is certainly tested often; today was no exception.
My mother and I decided to go to a flea market today. It had rained the night before, so everything was very muddy. However, by no means did that stop people from coming. There were quite a few times when I almost got knocked into by someone. I'm pretty used to that, since most people are at least a head taller than me and have a much different line of vision... I usually slip under their radar. The problem started when we went to an antique mall down the road. It seemed like a number of people who had been at the flea market decided to go to the antique mall too. No biggie... I don't linger. I normally just zip through and look for things that I collect. Because there were so many people, I couldn't always "zip," but I just waited until I could, which wasn't more than a few seconds. I ended up finding a vintage pair of gloves in a display case, so I went to the front to ask for assistance. It was very busy at the counter, so I just stood in line and waited. There were several staff members, but all of them seemed to be doing something. After about five minutes, an older man walks up and says to one of the staff, "I need someone to open a display case for me." It irked me a bit since he just cut in line like that, but I wasn't going to let it get to me. After another five or ten minutes, the crowd disbursed and I was the only customer left, but the staff didn't seem to care. I had dressed down for the flea market (no sense in ruining good clothes) and I never wear much makeup or do much to my hair, so I looked young. I guess everyone thought I was a kid. Finally, a female staff member asked if I was checking out, and I calmly said, "No, I need someone to open a display case for me." The man who had cut earlier was standing right there and boisterously said, "Well, you need to speak up instead of just standing there like a wallflower!" I think he was trying to be funny, but in my opinion, he wasn't. In fact, his words stung. All I had done was wait patiently until it was my turn, just as I was taught to do. There were about a dozen different things that I could have said, but I bit my tongue and prayed to God to forgive me for my rude thoughts and inaudible whispers. I knew it wouldn't do me a bit of good to retaliate... for one, it isn't Godly, and less importantly it would only have made me look more like a child.
Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil.
~Psalm 37:8 (KJV)
While we may want to respond to rudeness with rudeness, it's not the right thing to do. It's much more difficult to say nothing or to be polite in return, but as the song goes, "Sometimes the hardest thing and the right thing are the same."
God, forgive me for thinking about comebacks to that comment made to me today. I pray that all people can learn to be more considerate and patient, because you never know what a person is going through. Lord, please bless me with patience and guide me so that I may become the person you want me to be.And Lord, please continue to watch over my family and friends, and please bless them with patience as well. Help all of us to spread the love. In Jesus' name, Amen.
Love and God Bless,
M.C.
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