What's Your Excuse?

We were both sleeping soundly on Sunday night when we were rudely awakened by the blaring of the fire alarm.  Along with the other hotel guests, we made our way out to the parking lot and waited [somewhat] patiently until we were given the all-clear.

Al eventually fell asleep again, but I was not so fortunate.  I only fell asleep about forty-five minutes before it was time to get up.  Bleary-eyed, I showered and dressed, we had our breakfast, and were on the road again, making our way to Yellowstone National Park.  After a lovely day in Yellowstone, we exited via the south entrance, and about an hour later stopped for the night in Dubois, Wyoming, population 491.

We had booked a room at The Trail's End Motel.  Like all the other lodgings in Dubois, this was a small mom-and-pop establishment.  It was a log structure with a tin roof, very western in its décor.  I'm sure I would have appreciated its quaintness much more if I hadn't been so tired.  We slept with the windows open, since there was no air conditioning. It was a cool night, so temperature wasn't a problem.  However, this little motel sits right next to the main highway through Dubois, so there was road noise to contend with.  In addition, some sort of siren went off in the night, several times.  I'm not sure if it was a fire alarm or if it was weather-related (it was pouring rain), but after the alarm of the previous night, we were both a little alarm-sensitive.  The worst problem with the open window, however, was that the occupant of the next room went out sometime after dark to smoke, and his smoke wafted through our window.  Yuck!

In any event, two nights of interrupted sleep left me a little out of sorts this morning.  A little grumpy.  A little snarkier than usual.  And I'm really bothered by that.  Not bothered about losing sleep (although that does bother me), but bothered by how I allowed the lack of sleep to affect me.  How I used my tiredness as an excuse to be cranky.

What about you?  Have you ever had that experience?  Being tired, or not feeling well, or stressed, or whatever, and then letting it affect the way you treat others?  I have the feeling that I may not be the only one.

When you are rude, what's your excuse?

When you are irritable, what's your excuse?

When you are short-tempered, what's your excuse?

When you are less than pleasant, less than your best self, what's your excuse?

I'm tired.

I'm stressed.

I'm in pain.

I just don't feel so good.

On and on we go with the lists of excuses.

Aren't you glad God doesn't treat us the way we sometimes treat others?

Aren't you thankful He doesn't get impatient with us when we whine?

Aren't you thankful that He doesn't snap at us when we ask Him a question?

Aren't you thankful that God isn't like us?

And wouldn't it be wonderful if our behavior were more a reflection of His Spirit at work within us!

Jesus said, "In everything, therefore, treat people the same way you want them to treat you."  (Matthew 7:12 NASB, emphasis mine)

In everything.  At all times.  No excuses.

Something to think about.