Today’s blog post is not my own.  It belongs to a friend of mine, Mark Closson, who is a pilot with a leading airline.  He’s also frustrated with the current state of affairs that we Americans find ourselves.  He recently shared his perspective with a few friends in the Reflection below titled, “Shaken Up!”  After reading it, and saying, “Amen to that,” I sought his permission to share it on TheBuddyBlog.com.  

Anybody else shaken up lately?  Read on.  Thank you, Mark!

Shaken Up!

by Mark Closson

Since March 2020, do you feel like you are trapped in a soda bottle that is constantly being shaken?  Can you imagine how much pressure the average human being on planet earth has endured since COVID19 has shaken our world?  What event will uncork all that pressure?  Where will that pressure and spew be aimed?

How about it…are you angry?  Be honest, aren’t you mad?  Racism?  Bad Government? Trump or Biden?  Republican or Democrat? The media?  Your neighbor, who won’t wear a mask? Your fellow “Facebookers” who can’t help themselves but call out offensive “friends” on their social media posts? Your employer who tells you to stay and work from home?  Your past employer who let you go during COVID19?  Where does your “shaken” anger spew?

Or, maybe it is more subtle than that.  

Maybe it is your friend who has always been gracious who snubbed you?  

Maybe it is your spouse or children?  

Maybe it is the person with whom you have shared space within your home for the past several months?  

Do you have pent up frustration?  Have you have been shaken and need to spew?

If we are honest with ourselves, and each other, we recognize that nearly every human we encounter at the grocery store, drug store, gas station, fast-food restaurant drive-through, on the highway, or even our closest relative/neighbor has NOT met our expectations.  Perhaps you are even frustrated with NOT meeting your own expectations.  

So, what do we do?

Proverbs 19:11 – “Good sense makes one slow to anger, and it is his glory to overlook an offense.” 

The challenge of Proverbs 19:11 stares us right in the face.  Though being slow to anger is not one of my attributes,  I am reminded that such a character quality is good sense.  And if I dare to exercise good sense, and overlook my fellow humans’ offense, I can embrace glory.  Hard? Yes.  Impossible?  Maybe.  Glory is a big word, and I only know of its relation to someone much bigger than myself…yes, God.  Is it possible that overlooking my fellow humans’ failure to meet my expectations makes me look a little like…well…God?  You know what?  Today I am asking God to give me the power to accept my neighbors’ ”human failings” and overlook their offense.  COVID19 you do NOT get to have your way with me today.  

I choose glory!

And in doing so, I am choosing to reflect the image of my Creator.   I choose glory, like my Father in heaven, by overlooking AND forgiving my neighbors’ offense.  

There, I said it!  Now I choose to allow God to do it for me.   Let’s beat this COVID 19 and give each other the grace to be human, one offense at a time, one day at a time.

Will you join me?