Cleanup Veteran

3:12 p.m. Today's project was to take Bailey and Jada to the Riverside Animal Hospital for their rabies shots. October 5th, today, was the deadline for getting their licenses renewed by the City of Riverside. So we had to hustle and get their shots done first.

All went smoothly on the front end, as the girls were excited to go for a ride. Steve sat in the backseat to keep them from climbing out of the cargo area, and off we went, enjoying the scenery, to our destination on Magnolia. Steve got them unloaded and onto the sidewalk and calming down with a bit of walking back and forth while I took in the check and paperwork.

As I headed to the car snapping pictures and ready to take off for my chiropractic adjustment Yuck! Bailey's nerves got the better of her and she left a huge pile on the sidewalk right in front of the vet's lobby window! The other pet parents were laughing uproariously, which made me laugh, too, as I went back inside to get some paper towels. "Better take a roll," one jolly gal advised.

Any mother of five is a veteran of tens of thousands of diapers, so I honestly couldn't bother wasting time getting aggravated; I just gathered it up and took it out back. Since Steve had the assignment of keeping the dogs under control in a new location, I probably had the easier job. When I recounted the whole nuisance to Dr. Pena, he said, "I think that shows how you would rather do anything than control those big dogs!" Was he ever right!

Life does hand us piles on some days, doesn't it? Just like I didn't yell at my toddlers for needing their diapers changed, it does no good to yell about perfectly natural behavior from any other creature. Maybe your (or my) pile is the paper variety: bills. Physical pain, tragedy, and devastating losses can pile up on us. We are tempted to rage, but letting the Holy Spirit show us that hasty words waste prayer time, as well as creative problem solving time, is always the better choice.

Are Christians allowed to feel angry? Of course! There is much injustice in the world, much sorrow, too many innocent victims. But the key for us is found in Ephesians 4:26-27, New Living Translation: "Don't sin by letting anger control you. Don't let the sun go down while you are still angry, for anger gives a foothold to the devil."

And that's something I hope not to do!!