So you had a bad day

"A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone when he is fully trained will be like his teacher.” ~ Luke 6:40

Do you have those mornings where you just wake up on the wrong side of the bed? This morning was one of those for me. The phone rang at 4:58AM waking me up out of a sound sleep and I have been grumpy ever since. My wife is a PRN nurse or a per diem nurse, which means that she often works on a day-to-day basis as a fill in for others who call in sick or have family emergencies. So the phone rang and my morning started wrong, at least from my perspective.

It started out wrong because I was focusing just on how this inconvenienced me. The facility where my wife works schedules the nurses for 12 hour shifts. If you know anything about nursing these shifts rarely end on time. Regulations require charting on each patient, and if you pass meds you need to keep detailed records. So with those factors alone the twelve hours can at times turn into 13 to 14 hours. But all I could think about was me and how this was going to effect me. I would be responsible for deciding what was for dinner and preparing it, finishing the laundry, emptying and loading the dish washer and picking up my kids at the two or three different times they would be let out of school, and then getting to various meetings throughout the day and into the evening. Basically I was tired, grumpy and feeling sorry for myself. Call the waaaambulance.

As I was driving the kids to school the thought dawned on me; did Jesus ever have a bad day? Did He wake up on the wrong side of the bed feeling grumpy or sorry for Himself and say to His Father; sorry God, but you just don’t understand how difficult this task is that you have set before me. You just don’t understand how annoying these disciples are sometimes or how foolish and inconvenient these people are. I am just going to call in sick today and have some “me time.”

Jesus did have bad days; but not in the same way we would classify it, and unlike us He had the perfect reaction and perfect response every time. He always sought to do the will of the Father and not His own, (John 5:30). He was not the cause of bad days like when He saw the empty religion of the Jewish leadership (Pharisees, Sadducees and Scribes) or when He saw that the temple worship had been corrupted by those who set up shop to sell “approved” sacrifices, (see John 2). Unlike us He never let His circumstances or the hardship of God’s call interfere with His perfect love for the world or sidetrack Him from completing what His Father had called Him to do.

After pondering these thoughts and ruefully smiling at my lack of following His perfect example this song came on my car radio. It helped snap me out of my pity party.

I WILL LIFT MY EYES
By Bebo Norman

God, my God, I cry out
Your beloved needs You now
God, be near calm my fear and take my doubt
Your kindness is what pulls me up
Your love is all that draws me in

Chorus:
I will lift my eyes to the Maker
of the mountains I can't climb
I will lift my eyes to the Calmer
of the oceans raging wild
I will lift my eyes to the Healer
of the hurt I hold inside
I will lift my eyes, lift my eyes to You

God, my God, let mercy sing
her melody over me
and God, right here all I bring
is all of me
Your kindness is what pulls me up
Your love is all that draws me in

Chorus

'Cause You are and You were and You will be forever
the Lover I need to save me
'Cause You fashioned the earth and You hold it together, God
so hold me now

I will lift my eyes to the Maker
of the mountains I can't climb
I will lift my eyes to the Calmer
of the oceans raging wild
I will lift my eyes to the Healer
of the hurt I hold inside
I will lift my eyes, lift my eyes to You
I will lift my eyes, lift my eyes to You

God, my God, I cry out
Your beloved needs You now

When I was first married my Pastor preached a sermon on James 1:2 about counting it all joy when you experience trials. He reminded us that it does not say "if" but "when". The point he made that really has stuck with me over the years is this; always keep in mind that there is someone else somewhere going through a trial far greater than what you are experiencing at this very moment. That thought takes the wind out of the sails of many a pity party that I have tried to launch in my own life.

The verse referenced at the top of this post from Luke 6:40 uses the phrase “fully trained” which means being like Jesus in every way. This morning I woke up and realized just how far I have to go. I am so grateful that I have a Savior who took on human form and was tempted in every way, (and probably more than I ever have been or will), yet He did it without sin. That is the example I want to emulate and give my all.

“For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” ~ Hebrews 4:15-16