We finished our sound check a little early Sunday morning, so I grabbed my bible and journal and headed out to grab some fresh air under a tree outside the school where we meet. On my way to my spot, I noticed a flash of white falling from above, but I didn’t see anything. As I sat under the tree reading and praying, I got swarmed by a zillion big black ants. As I moved my journal to brush away an ant that was crawling up my leg, I spotted it.
Bird poop. On my jeans. Not cool. Not cool at all.
I had about 15 minutes before taking the stage to lead worship and preach.
Anything like that ever happen to you? Or maybe you’ve been pooped on in the proverbial sense. Perhaps someone has dropped a bomb of non-goodness on your pant leg, totally disrupting your rhythm and destroying your day.
How do you handle that?
Well, here’s what I think. Let it go. Scrape it off, clean it up as best you can, and press on. You can feel angry about being violated, and you might even be justified in feeling that way. But until you forgive and move on, you’re walking around with the stain of poop affecting your life.
Forgiveness is choosing to live with the consequences, not holding on to the hurt and demanding that the offending party bear the penalty of the wrongdoing. It doesn’t mean that the wrong never happened. It doesn’t mean that there’s no pain involved. But it breaks the bondage of anger, and brings healing and peace.
Of course, there may be consequences that follow the deed. I may have to change the way I live to avoid putting myself in that same situation.
Check out this reporter, and you’ll see what I mean…
2 Comments
malea · June 3, 2009 at 3:50 pm
so a bird pooped less than 5 feet in front of me today. just splattered all over the sidewalk. and i thought of you. and was happy that i was not walking faster.
Pete · June 9, 2009 at 4:25 am
It was 2001.
Prom. Tux. Bird. Poop. You get the picture…