I Lost My Temper!

Yes, it’s true. I lost my temper.

I’d like to tell you I had righteous anger. 

But that would be a BIG, FAT, LIE!

Here’s what happened…

There’s a new pizza place in town. They make good pizza. It was Friday Night. I called at 5:50 to place my order for pick up. I was told 30-35 mins and it would be ready.

I was already hungry and 35 mins seemed like a long time, but the pizza’s good so I waited 30 mins then loaded grandma and the toddler in the car and went down the road to get it. 

There was literally no where to park when I arrived, so I parked in the grass. A line was filling out the door. I left the car running so grandma and the kiddo wouldn’t get cold. (We figured I might have to wait an extra 10 mins or so to get our order.)

I made my way through the crowd to the register and gave them my name. I was told it would be another 15-20 mins. 

GRRR…but it smelled so good AND I’d already paid.

So I picked a place by the wall and waited. 

At 7:15 I still hadn’t gotten my pizza. I was losing my cool imagining my toddler crying in the car. I could hear the lecture I’d get from grandma when I finally got out of here, “You should have asked for your money back and we could have gone somewhere else to eat.” 

A short while later the guy next to me told me he had ordered his pizza 30 mins after me. He too was getting impatient. 

But then his name was called! 

About that time my son came running to me. Grandma had lost the battle of keeping him in the car. He was smiling but also covered in Gold Fish crumbs. Great, now he wouldn’t be hungry! 

Carrying my son, I made my way to the counter to ask on the status of my pizza. The young girl went to check and came back with a cold pizza. It had been ready awhile but they forgot to call out my name. 

I took the pizza and went home.

But the pizza was beyond cold, none of us ate more than a few bites. 

Angry, I did something I’m ashamed of…

I called the busy pizza place and asked to speak to the manager. 

I didn’t yell. I didn’t call names. I simply told them I was disappointed in my service (but since I’m confessing, I’ll also tell you my voice wasn’t pleasant. It was my mean voice, a voice I hate using). 

While this made me feel better, it didn’t make me a better person.

In fact, as the nice manager began offering me a free pizza on my next visit, remorse set in. 

I told him I didn’t want a free pizza, I simply wanted them to fix this type of problem so it wouldn’t happen to anyone again (AKA, I wanted to vent). 

He thanked me for the input and insisted on giving me the pizza. He went on to say his company believed in the “golden rule” and he wanted to treat me how he’d like to be treated.

I felt like a heel.  I too believed in the “golden rule” but my attitude, tone of voice and actions didn’t show it. 

Instead, I sounded like so many people today…complaining to get something free.

I asked again for them to not give me the pizza.

He refused and thanked me again. 

I hung up feeling like a huge baby.

Why had I lost my temper to begin with? 

It’s not like they held my pizza back on purpose.  They weren’t plotting to sabotage my evening. They had no clue I had a hungry toddler in the car. And I could plainly see they were beyond busy. 

I went to bed that night praying for forgiveness and asking God to teach me so I’d never again repeat such a silly mistake. 

God answered my prayer in my Bible Study.

I lost my temper because my eyes weren’t on God.

I wasn’t being about my Father’s business of Love and Mercy; I was being about MY business of satisfying my carnal “need”. 

While many would say my actions were warranted, that’s not how God views it and it’s not how I should view it.

I could have easily justified my actions and went to bed the same person I was…but instead, I sought God to make me more like Him. 

Matt 6:33 says to “Seek first the Kingdom of God…”

 

I wasn’t doing that.

When I put God first, all the small annoyances of life fade to the background. (tweet this) 

I’m reading “Young and Purposeful” by Moyo Mamora, page 104 says, “To fear God is to have reverence for Him, to honor Him, and to put Him first always…make the Word of God your final authority in the issues of life…choose to honor God above everything else.”  (Emphasis mine)

All I wanted was a pizza. Instead, I got humble pie and a good lesson. 

I feel better now that I’ve confessed.

How about you…do you have anything you need to confess?