Sometimes, I'm Pathetic

A few months ago I booked flights for me and Kathy, in anticipation of the arrival of our newest grandchild. With the due date determined to be May 17, we intentionally booked our trip to be a few weeks out, to give the family time to settle into their new normal.

A couple of weeks after booking, I received an email from the airline stating our departure flight from Toronto to Fredericton, originally a direct flight, now included a 4-hour layover in Ottawa, so our new arrival time would be over 4 hours later than our original flight.

My immediate reaction was disappointment, frustration and anger. All I could think about was when I booked, it was a direct flight; that our time with family had just been reduced and 4 hours in an airport meant spending at least $40-$50 on food I'd rather not eat. As a VIP member of this airline, this didn't seem to be VIP treatment.

So of course I went onto the airline website to enquire more and ultimately to file a complaint. I then proceeded to call in with my questions and frustrations.

Fast forward...

Recently I have been reading through the Book of Acts, in the New Testament which highlights the beginning of the Church, the apostle Paul's conversion and call into ministry and the establishing of the local church.

In chapter 14 Paul & Barnabas healed a lame guy and the people were so amazed that they starting worshipping them as if they were Greek gods.

Paul immediately shut that down, explaining that they were just humans like them trying to share the good news of the gospel of Jesus. Then a crowd who were on the hunt for Paul stirred up the rest and helped turned them against Paul and Barnabas.

"They stoned Paul and dragged him outside the city, thinking he was dead. But after the disciples had gathered around him, he got up and went back into the city. The next day he and Barnabas left for Derbe." Acts 14:19-20

In a matter of minutes the crowd went from worshiping Paul to stoning him. In my Bible I had written a note years ago in the margin that said, "By the way" because it seemed so casual in how it was written.

People stood around Paul and threw rocks at him until he was almost dead. Then they dragged him out of the city.

Then only a couple of chapters later we read after Paul had cast out an evil spirit from a young girl who was able to predict the future, the owners of this slave girl, realizing their cash cow was gone, stirred up the crowds against Paul. This time he was flogged,

"The crowd joined in the attack against Paul and Silas, and the magistrates ordered them to be stripped and beaten with rods. After they had been severely flogged, they were thrown into prison, and the jailer was commanded to guard them carefully. When he received these orders, he put them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks."

You'd think Paul would have learned to stay away from crowds.

Then it says, "About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them."

Are you kidding me?

Paul was beaten, flogged and stoned, then thrown into prison (for doing what he was called to do) and what does he do? He begins singing and praying.

My flight gets delayed 4 hours and I am indignant and angry.

I am pathetic.

Reading this account of Paul, I was convicted immediately of my own reaction and behaviour. How small, and selfish I was, only thinking about my own inconvenience. How dare they interrupt my plans. I was a VIP member after all.

How could I possibly react the way I did, especially in light of Paul's example?

For starters...

• I was focused on my own circumstances and how they impacted my life, rather than remaining focused on what God wants my life to look like.
• I thought too highly of myself. I'm not an important person and I'm certainly not a very important person. I'm just a human, who needs forgiveness and grace.
• In that moment of anger, I believed that my life should go well....up and to the right if you will. But this is a mistake. It would be foolish of me to believe that my life should be free of pain and suffering....and a flight delay doesn't even register as either.
• I forgot that how I treat others is more important than getting my way.
• Sometimes I want my circumstances to change more than I want to change

Jesus promised that His followers will suffer, not might suffer, for His sake. I'm not convinced that most of us in the West even know what suffering is. Maybe we should stop quoting Jeremiah 29:11 "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you..." you may know the rest because it's quoted all the time. But that was a promise for the nation of Israel (some theologians believe it still is).

But not for us; not on this side of heaven anyway.

Peter said, "Dear friends, do not be surprised at the ordeal that has come on you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you." 1 Peter 4:12-13

In this life there will be pain, disappointment, even suffering. Why would I act surprised or indignant. Good question.

"Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him." James 1:12

"Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope." Romans 5:3-4

That's what I want for me and for you. To persevere and reflect the character that honours what God has done in my life, and to point others to the hope we have in Him.

We fly out Tuesday morning to visit our family and hold our third granddaughter, and while we may get there later than I hoped, and spend a little more on airport food than I wanted, I am reminded that what matters more than my convenience, or my plans, is that I am to persevere in whatever circumstances I find myself in, and reflect the character of God while doing so.

Until next time - Dan