My Stupid Mistake

I want to share something I did recently that was, well… just plain stupid.

Most weeks, at the end of our church services, I stand near the exit and greet people as they leave.

That’s when it happened: I smiled and said “Hi” to someone…

But she didn’t acknowledge me.

In fact, I’m pretty sure she looked away and tried to walk faster.

That’s when I got stupid. My ego was bruised and I felt annoyed.

So, I chased after her. I tapped her on the shoulder and said, “Eh-hem. HELLO.”

The tone of my HELLO was that of a parent correcting a child—you know, like when a parent says YOU’RE WELCOME as a way of demanding the proper THANK YOU that their child failed to produce.

When “Eh-hem. HELLO” came out of my mouth, I realized how stupid I was being.

It was obvious that this was for me and not for her.

And then I realized something else…

In that moment, as I chased her down—attempting to squeeze the proper greeting out of her, OTHERS poured out the exit with no greeting from me at all.

I missed many OTHERS because I was stewing over one who rejected my greeting.

There it is—my stupid mistake.

Jesus sent his disciples out to minister to people and he gave them the following instructions: “If you’re not welcomed… don’t make a scene. Shrug your shoulders and move on.” (Luke 9.5 MSG)

I didn’t shrug my shoulders. I stewed. I made a scene…

And I missed the OTHERS.

That’s what Jesus was speaking to his disciples about: there are OTHERS.

If you are rejected, shrug your shoulders and keep going because there are OTHERS.

If your best attempts fall flat, shrug your shoulders and keep going because there are OTHERS.

If you are disappointed with your results, shrug your shoulders and keep going because there are OTHERS.

Hopefully, I have learned from my stupid mistake. Maybe you will too.