i don’t want to be a crabby old man

I blew it yesterday. After church, Letha, Jess, Josh and I went out to lunch at a local restaurant. We were seated at a booth a few feet from a large family: mom, dad and 5 younger kids. We noticed immediately that the kids were loud and unruly and I was annoyed right off the bat. Since the kids were little, I had trouble seeing them all. When dessert was delivered to them, the kids raised their hands and yelled. The dad joined them. I was a bit shocked at how loud they were and I looked over, giving my best “what is wrong with you?” look.

The family finished their meal and left, walking by our booth. Dad left first, leaving mom to herd the kids out. When she passed, the mom looked sheepishly at me and said quietly, “sorry”. I immediately felt like the biggest jerk in the world. I got the feeling she was overwhelmed both with five kids under 8 and with her useless husband.

I don’t want to be a crabby old man. That means I have to stop being a crabby middle aged man.

“Love is patient, love is kind…” I Corinthians 13.